An evacuation order and local state of emergency has been rescinded in an Olalla mobile home park, about 40 kilometres southwest of Penticton, while evacuation alerts have been lifted in rural Oliver.
An Olalla resident, forced out of his house for almost two weeks after the power was shut off due to high water, has just returned home.
“We’re sloshing around in all of this water here and these old places have underground connections so he said we’ll have to shut it down,” he said.
Zoe Kirk, a spokesperson with the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen’s emergency operations centre, said power was restored after the water subsided along First Avenue.
“We were able to bring back the power, the electricity, the infrastructure that is required for people to go back into their homes,” she said.
Life is also returning to normal for those living along once swollen creeks in rural Oliver.
Evacuation alerts have been lifted for homes along Tinhorn, Hester and Testalinden Creeks.
But residents are still on edge in Twin Lakes near Kaleden and the Red Wing resort just north of Penticton, where local states of emergency and evacuation alerts remain in effect.
“That’s because those areas are still active and we are very concerned that we don’t back away too quickly because they are still pumping water in Twin Lakes,” Kirk said. “Any amount of wind or change in the lake can affect those barriers that we have at Red Wing.”
As the flood threat slowly subsides, attention has turned to the extent of the damage and the cost.
Flood victims are filing claims for disaster financial assistance through the provincial government.
Flood-related expenses borne by the province are expected to be in the multi-millions.
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