1,200 evacuation alerts rescinded along the Similkameen River

As the flood threat subsides in the south Okanagan, more than 1,200 evacuation alerts were rescinded Wednesday night along the Similkameen River.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) said the threat of flooding has been reduced and the potential danger to life, health and property has diminished.

Evacuation alerts have ended for 589 properties in Keremeos and 663 properties in rural Keremeos and Cawston near the Similkameen River.

WATCH BELOW: Flood waters threaten to cutoff Lower Similkameen Indian Band reserves

1:44 Flood waters threaten to cutoff Lower Similkameen Indian Band reserves

A handful of properties remain under evacuation alerts and orders along the river near Keremeos Creek including three mobile homes and a house west of Keremeos at Riverside Estates .

RDOS Chair Karla Kozakevich said significant damage could occur and rapid damage assessments will be completed before residents can return home.

“The bank has been undercut and they are right up against the bank of the river and we are doing some work there by putting in rip rap which are large boulders and then adding fill.”

The Riverside RV mobile home park remains under evacuation alert.

Nine homes remain under evacuation order at Twin Lakes. Military personnel reinforced flood barriers and have now been deployed to other at-risk areas.

“We still have more snowpack to melt so it’s just keeping an eye on everything. We don’t like people to start pulling away sandbags when they are near a river. We also want to have a proper plan implemented for sand bag removal and disposal.”

Similkameen River levels continue to drop and it’s now discharging 17,600 cubic feet per second, as oppose to near 30,000 cubic feet per second on May 17, as measured by the US Geological Survey.

Osoyoos Lake is at 915.07 feet above sea level as of Thursday morning, down a foot from last week.

WATCH BELOW: Global Okanagan’s ongoing coverage of the 2018 floods 

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