Removing flood protection from public spaces - News Release #121

Localized Flooding May 2017

Removal of flood protection continues in areas that are no longer vulnerable to wave action and where beach elevation is higher.

In preparation for the long weekend, crews will continue to remove flood protection measures from public spaces, like parks and road ends, in Peachland and West Kelowna. Crews are also assessing and removing flood protection in City Park and Tugboat Bay in Kelowna in order to help return our beaches and parks to the public.

The level of Okanagan Lake dropped 1.5 centimetres from yesterday and is now at 343.052 metres above sea level; however, the lake still sits 57 centimetres above full pool. Kalamalka Lake is down 1.4 centimetres from yesterday and is now at 392.243 metres.

Residents and visitors looking to enjoy lakes in the area are encouraged to check out the Boating Wake maps at www.cordemergency.ca/map and follow the guidelines for respectful boating. Once lake levels reach more reasonable levels, regular boating activities can resume.

Property owners along lakefront should continue to monitor their flood protection measures.

For residents in areas were the flooding risk has passed, more information about sandbag locations for drop off, details about recovery efforts, and a link to the online Emergency Management BC sandbag recovery application, can be found at www.cordemergency.ca/beprepared/flood-recovery.

In the Central Okanagan, the Red Cross has provided assistance to 105 households and 183 people, distributing over $38,000. The Red Cross is now working to assess additional household needs and provide financial assistance to those who qualify, as well as support and connections to other local agencies. For more information and to register, visit http://www.redcross.ca/gethelp or call 1-800-863-6582.

For municipal information such as boat launch, park and beach closures, and water quality advisories, visit their websites:

To stay informed about flooding and the recovery efforts, visit www.cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates or call the information line at 250-469-8490.