Crews preparing for wind

Photo: Mel Farrell

Winds as strong as 50km/h could hit the Okanagan today.

Emergency crews are out again today fortifying flood barriers in anticipation of some strong wind gusts later today.

The forecast Thursday calls for south winds to 30km/h, with gusts as high as 50 this afternoon.

"Wind preparation is definitely the plan for today," said Tom Wilson, communications spokesman for the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre.

Wind gusts to 50km/h are also forecast for this evening.

The wind will be accompanied by some rain, and the possibility of a thunderstorm. A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the Kootenays, however, such an advisory has not been issued for the Okanagan as of yet.

The level of Okanagan Lake continues to hold steady. At 5:25 this morning, the level was pegged at 343.249 metres above sea level, in the range of what it has been since Monday.

Mission Creek is flowing between 30 and 35 cubic metres per second, slightly below seasonal norms.

Wilson reminds people to fortify barriers where needed.

And, while the EOC works on a plan for deconstruction once the flood event is over, Wilson says people should keep barriers in place until that plan is announced.

He says people should not dump sand from sandbags into creeks. That, he says, will only cause problems the next time creeks run high.

While many creeks have gone down, Wilson asks that sandbags and barriers be left in place until a region-wide plan is developed.