The flood watch has ended in Lumby, B.C. The village lifted its evacuation alerts on Tuesday.
However, some residents are still living without power and dealing with damage left by flood waters. One family says they’ll never be able to return home.
As Lumby was inundated with flood waters in early May, some residents were ordered to evacuate their homes.
That evacuation order was downgraded to an alert over a week ago, however at the Monahsee Trailer Park only some of the residents have returned.
The residents who have returned say they still don’t have power. Two trailers are using a generator to run their fridges however the fuel is getting pricy. One resident is using a camp stove to cook and heat water.
Their landlord said he has contacted electricians about getting the power restored and has received a quote for the needed repairs. He said the process of having the site assessed and getting a quote took time and the electrical company was busy with other jobs and couldn’t begin work right away.
The tenants who have already moved back said the electrical systems on their individual trailers were ready to be connected. However, on Tuesday, the landlord was waiting to hear back from an electrician about whether all the trailers were ready to be connected.
The landlord doesn’t know yet exactly when the repair work will be completed and the power restored.
On top of the power issues, some are also dealing with flood damage.
Rose Tiemstra said all the insulation under her trailer got wet in the flood.
“Our floors are now starting to buckle. You are hitting soft spots as you come down the hall,” she said.
Her neighbours are much worse off. The sign on Laurie Olson’s door says “Unsafe: Do not enter or occupy.”
Olson said he and his family will never return to live in their mobile home. They’re now trying to salvage whatever belongings they can and go elsewhere.
“We lost a lot of stuff. Some of the stuff you can’t replace like pictures and keepsakes,” he said.
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