Flood risk on the rise

Photo: File photo

Regional district officials are urging people to take action now to avoid flooding in the future.

Regional district officials are urging people to take action now to avoid flooding in the future.

On top of a melting snowpack, heavy rains are sweeping over the area, increasing the potential for flooding.

“With the rain and snow we received last night, freezing levels are now higher out at Silver Star. We are expecting much more rain today and Thursday, mixed with the warm temperatures going into the weekend. It’s a recipe for high water levels,” said Alastair Crick, protective services manager at the RDNO. “PreparedBC and the Province of British Columbia offer various educational tools on flood preparedness, and in an effort to be proactive we highly encourage residents to take preventative measures.”

Residents are responsible for protecting their home and property from flooding and the provided materials are strictly for flood-protection purposes.

Sand and sand bags are available at the following locations for any resident in the Regional District of North Okanagan electoral areas who require them to protect their property:

• For the City of Enderby and Electoral Area F - City of Enderby Public Works yard located at 2308 McGowan Avenue.
• For Electoral Areas B and C - At the North side parking lot of BX Swan Lake Fire Department located at 5764 Silver Star Road/East Dedecker Road.
• For the Village of Lumby and Electoral Areas D and E – Across from the arena on Shields Avenue.

Any person, or machine working adjacent to creeks, streams and rivers are urged to "use extreme caution" as fast-moving water may cause erosion and bank instability.

Residents can receive instant updates on flooding conditions by subscribing to the RDNO email list.