Stay Prepared: Flood Watch Continues Due to Unstable Weather, Melting Snowpack - News Release #45

Localized Flooding May 2017

Kelowna, B.C – Emergency responders continue to monitor creeks and lake levels and plan for the likelihood of flooding given the unstable weather pattern that is expected to last through Sunday. All previous alerts and orders remain in effect.

Despite less severe than expected weather overnight, rain and snowpack melt remain in the forecast and the Central Okanagan is not out of the woods yet. The message to “stay prepared” remains as important as ever.

Creek and lake levels remain a concern. Seven Lake Level Flood Watch Maps are available for waterfront areas adjacent to Okanagan Centre, Carrs Landing, Oyama, the waterfront areas of Peachland and along Westside Road.  Based on current projections, these maps indicate the longer term possibility of flooding due to rising lake levels over the next week or weeks. They can be viewed at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

Stay Prepared

Residents are encouraged to take several important steps to remain prepared:

  • Have a 72-hour emergency kit ready to go

  • Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice by gathering all essential items such as medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers (i.e. insurance) and immediate care needs for dependants

  • Prepare to move any disabled persons and/or children, and pets and/or livestock to a safe area

  • Arrange accommodation for your family, if possible

  • Sign up for e-updates at www.cordemergency.ca to receive the latest information

  • Sandbag the areas you want protected

  • Remove items from below-ground basements and crawlspaces to higher ground

Emergency officials are preparing by taking measures to sandbag around key infrastructure and bring in portable damming systems that can be installed around key infrastructure. Several sand and sandbag locations are also being continually stocked throughout the region:

In Kelowna:

Empty Sandbags

  • City of Kelowna Fire Station #1 at 2255 Enterprise Way

Sand & Sandbags:

  • Burne Avenue, west of Ethel Street at Mill Creek

  • 221 Adams Road – North Reeds Corner area (Industrial Park)

  • 1870 Maple Street – Downtown area

  • 1118 Brookside Road – Capri area

  • Radant Road (two sites) – Mission area

Pre-filled Sandbags, Sand and Sand Bags

  • End of Bluebird Road – Mission area

  • Truswell Road – Mission area

  • Cook Road Boat Launch outside the Hotel Eldorado - Mission

  • Rowcliffe Avenue at Richter Street – Downtown/Sutherland

  • Burtch Road – Apple Bowl Parking Lot

West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation residents:

Sand and Sandbags

  • 1341 Green Bay Road (Osprey Park)

  • 2606 and 2714 Casa Loma Road

  • 1651 Pritchard Drive

  • 4081 Hitchner Road

  • 2589 Whitworth Road (Pebbles Beach Park)

Lake Country:

Sand and Sandbags

  • Swalwell Park at 9950 Bottom Wood Lake Road

  • Deldor Rd at Mayrus Rd

  • Beasley Park on Woodsdale Road

Sand

  • Okanagan Centre Fire Hall (10591 Okanagan Centre Rd. East)

Peachland:

Sandbags

  • Peachland Fire Department at 4401 3rd Street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outside of these times and on Weekends, please call fire dispatch at 250-469-8801 to arrange a pick up time.

Sand

  • At the end of Chidley Road

RDCO Electoral area residents:

Sand and Sandbags

  • Ellison Fire Department – 4411 Old Vernon Road

  • North Westside Fire Rescue – Short’s Creek Firehall, Westside Road (call 250-545-1195 to arrange pick up. (Fintry, Valley of the Sun, Killiney, West Shore)

  • Wilson’s Landing Fire Department – 2396 Westside Road North (Trader’s Cove)

  • Joe Rich Fire Rescue Main hall 11481 Highway 33

  • Goudie hall 6550 Goudie Road

Pease check cordemergency.ca for updates on sand locations throughout the day.

Sand is being constantly replenished. Check www.cordemergency.ca/map for updated information. Residents who notice sand running out at a location can contact the Information Office at 250-469-8490 or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free).

Before doing any excavating, trenching or clearing on your property to protect it from a flood or clean up after, always call BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886 (or go to bconecall.ca) to get natural gas line location details. When you call, indicate it’s an emergency situation and you will be provided with further instruction.