Flood watch downgraded for Kelowna's Mission Creek

Photo: BC River Forecast Centre

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has downgraded a flood watch for Kelowna’s Mission Creek to a high streamflow advisory.

Unsettled weather and thunderstorms have dropped between 10 and 40 millimetres of rain on B.C.’s Southern Interior since July 3, with precipitation totals varying widely by watershed.

“Local urban flooding in Penticton illustrates this potential for significant rainfall amounts and rates over the past 24 to 48 hours within specific contexts,” the Forecast Centre said in a statement.

Given the potential for more rain, the Forecast Centre says small and medium watersheds in the region may experience higher flows Tuesday and Wednesday in the two- to five-year return period.

Flows on Mission Creek peaked Monday at 55 cubic metres per second and are now flowing at 37 cubic metres. For context, when the creek flooded on June 14 flows exceeded 100 cubic metres.

“Current forecasts suggest continued recession within this system. Indeed, weather forecasts for the south interior indicates less rain totals to the end of the week than we experienced over the past 72 hours, although unsettled weather is forecast to continue into Friday,” the Forecast Centre added.

High streamflow advisories are being held in place for many watersheds due to the uncertainty of this week’s forecast.

Advisories remain in place for Mission Creek, Similkameen, Okanagan, Boundary, West and East Kootenay, Nicola, North Thompson and Upper Columbia basins.

Flood watches are still in place for the Thompson and South Thompson basins.