It is a difficult day and weekend ahead for many British Columbians.
Thousands have been forced to flee their homes in the Boundary region as flood waters continue to rise.
Almost 2,800 residents remain out of their homes Friday morning, including those who live on about 400 properties in Grand Forks.
There are residents in 930 homes on evacuation alert.
Officials say the flooding has not been this severe since the record-breaking floods of 1948.
Downtown Grand Forks has been hit hard with several streets closed or left with restricted access.
“This very difficult flooding situation is going to continue through tomorrow and possibly longer,” director for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Chris Marsh said. “We have every resource at our disposal working to help with evacuations, emergency response, and recovery for those people who are displaced.”
WATCH: Images of Grand Forks underwater Friday morning
The rivers crested early Friday morning and houses south of the Kettle River are now flooded. The water continues to rise and residents are sandbagging to try and get ahead of the rushing water in other areas of the city.
Some residents have been stranded in their homes Friday morning.
Emergency Social Services are available for displaced residents at centres set up at the Grand Forks Curling Club and Midway Community Centre.
Lydia Greene, who lives in Grand Forks, sent Global News these photos of the shed in her backyard. She says they are praying that the shed doesn’t fall because if it does they will lose power and if power goes then the pumps stop pumping and water will get into their house. “At the moment it’s only in the basement,” she says.
WATCH: Archive footage of the widespread flooding in B.C. In 1948
Meanwhile, a home near Grand Forks collapsed on the banks of the Kettle River.
The river was moving fast enough to undercut the bank by several metres.
WATCH: House collapses on the banks of Kettle River
Okanagan flooding
The fight to save homes is also on near the Similkameen River, with officials expecting flooding not seen in 200 years.
The river has breached its banks in a number of locations around Keremeos and Cawston, closing Highway 3 for the foreseeable future.
A local state of emergency was declared in Keremeos Thursday to assist the local government in case further evacuations are necessary.
It is a dire situation near Okanagan Falls as well.
Shuttleworth Creek is flooding local streets there, forcing the evacuation of 54 properties.
Residents were later allowed to go back to their homes, but the area remains on evacuation alert.
WATCH: Fifty-four properties now on evacuation order in Okanagan Falls after Shuttleworth Creek breached its banks
Barb Parker lives on Brockie Place, one of the streets that have been hit hardest by flooding.
“Our neighbour’s driveway is basically a river you could take a canoe through. We are just lucky we are on about four feet higher ground,” Parker said.
“We are not panicked yet. We do have an escape route and a truck to get out if we need to.”
She said some of her neighbours’ homes have been evacuated.
“It is a little scary to see people being taken out and all your friend’s houses, their yards gone and they are knee-deep in water. It is pretty sad for them,” Parker said.
“We got waterfront property that we didn’t want.”
She estimates some parts of her street are under 15 to 20 centimetres of water.
Osoyoos
A state of local emergency has been declared in the Town of Osoyoos amid rising lake levels.
Some residents of Willow Beach, near Osoyoos B.C., were told to leave their homes immediately late Thursday afternoon.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen issued the evacuation order at 4 p.m. because of “flooding and lake inundation.”
Meanwhile, an evacuation order was expanded to an additional 30 homes along Osoyoos Lake on Friday night.
High water created an “immediate danger to life safety,” said a joint release by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the Town of Osoyoos.
WATCH: Osoyoos Lake surpasses peak expectations and floods area homes and businesses
An evacuation order was also carried out at the Coast Osoyoos Beach Hotel as well as the Paradise Park RV Resort Thursday night.
“We had to shut down gas and power due to flooding in the lower level,” Osoyoos Fire Chief Ryan McCaskill said.
Osoyoos Lake is usually dozens of metres away from the hotel down and across a sandy beach.
On Tuesday, the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) and Town of Osoyoos warned the lake could rise above 916 feet above sea level and it surpassed that level Thursday night.
Hundreds of homes on Osoyoos Lake were put on evacuation alert Thursday night. All those addresses can be found on the regional website.
In addition, the Town of Osoyoos has put out an urgent request for all residents to cease pumping flood water from basements or properties into the sewer system.
“The act of causing this water to enter the sewer system in current conditions is causing pump infrastructure to function beyond capacity, which may result in a breakdown of the town sewer management system,” Barry Romanko, Osoyoos’ chief administrative officer, said Thursday night.
Anyone found pumping groundwater into the sewer system could be fined.
Weather
Heading into the weekend, Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga says a dry, hotter spell is on the way.
“A very strong high-pressure ridge will become dominant across British Columbia over the next several days. In the Southern Interior, temperatures will rise by a few degrees Friday, but will then soar for the following few days in the summer-like weather pattern,” says Madryga.
WATCH: May 11 forecast shows temperatures warming across B.C.
However, with the hot weather, comes the snow melt.
“High temperatures in the valleys will rise to close to 30 degrees by Sunday, and with very warm air also over the mountains, rapid snowmelt will add considerable water to the already swollen streams and rivers for an extended period ahead,” he adds.
— With files from Megan Turcato, Shelby Thom and Doris Maria Bregolisse
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