Residents who live north of Oliver in South Okanagan neighbourhoods affected by spring flooding came together to hear the latest from officials Wednesday night.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) said it’s dealing with a fast moving emergency that changes at least five times a day and is expected to get worse.
Bill Newell, the RDOS’ Chief Administrative Officer, said he’s sympathetic to residents who are dealing with flooding and said officials are attempting to get them up-to-date information every day.
While surface and ground water have been the issue so far, according to Newell, the snow pack melt will impact the region further by the weekend.
Newell was one of several officials from the RDOS and provincial government who answered residents questions and heard their frustrations.
Some residents believed numerous beaver dams on mountain creeks could be blocking the flow of water, but officials said they weren’t believed to be a cause of recent flooding.
An unidentified representative from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation said many culverts in the region are no longer big enough to handle the runoff increase, which he said was a result of climate change.
As the meeting was getting under way, the RDOS issued an evacuation notice for one home on Green Mountain Road.
Cracks were found in the soil above a residence, deeming it unsafe for people in the home.
The RDOS said the residents have been place in the care of Emergency Social Services and put up for the night at a nearby hotel.
A new state of local emergency has been placed on a section of Green Mountain Road in the Farleigh Lake area while geotechnical assessments are underway in the area of concern.
“Record high snow pack has a high potential of creating further slope instability and flooding in the area,” a RDOS release on the evacuation said. “Residents are advised to monitor their properties and any slopes that may have the potential to run onto their properties.”
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