VANCOUVER – Residents across central and southern British Columbia are being warned to watch for danger as another storm approaches the waterlogged region.
A special weather statement from Environment Canada remains in effect, warning that heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to blanket a large part of the southern Interior late Thursday.
The province has issued a statement saying the wet weather could trigger landslides and more flooding, and homeowners, farmers and business owners should take steps to protect their property.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operations says people should be prepared to either leave quickly or shelter in place for 72 hours.
WATCH: Kelowna residents sandbag ahead of potential flooding
Flooding forced hundreds from their homes last weekend and the regional district placed nearly 600 more homes near Lake Country, north of Kelowna, on evacuation alert on Wednesday night.
Canada’s safety minister said Ottawa is watching the B.C. situation closely as more stormy weather approaches.
“Rising temperatures, snow melt and thunderstorms are actually expected to worsen the flooding situation over the period immediately ahead,” said Ralph Goodale.
“We’re watching B.C. and the central part of that province very carefully.”
WATCH: Okanagan threatened with ‘perfect storm’ flooding
Alerts and evacuation orders remain in effect in other parts of the regional district as residents around Kelowna, Merritt, Cache Creek and many parts of the Shuswap are also dealing with flooding and washouts.
Scaled back searches continue for Cache Creek fire Chief Clayton Cassidy, who is believed to have been swept away last week while checking high water levels, and for 75-year-old Roy Sharp, who hasn’t been seen since a mudslide hit his house near Tappen, north of Vernon, on Saturday.