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Region wide Evacuation Alert removed; Crawford Creek, Duhamel Creek, Broadwater Rd., Salmo, Slocan Rivers evacuation alert remains

Regional District of Central Kootenay
By Regional District of Central Kootenay
June 3rd, 2020

The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has removed the evacuation alert for the entire region with the exception of Crawford Creek (Crawford Bay) in electoral Area A, Duhamel Creek (Nelson) in electoral Area F, Broadwater Rd. (Robson) in electoral Area J, Salmo/Ymir in electoral Area G, and the Slocan River drainage region in electoral Areas H and I.

For those areas, the alert remains in place.

The RDCK continues to assess the damage throughout the region, but major issues include washed out roads, culvert blockage, erosion, logjams, and property damage due to flooding, erosion or wind.

More than 500 homes were evacuated over the weekend, but all residents have been allowed to return home since yesterday’s decision to rescind all evacuation orders.

The BC River Forecast Centre has downgraded the region from flood watch to a high streamflow advisory for the Salmo River, Slocan River and all tributaries. Weather through this week is expected to be unsettled, with seasonal temperatures and occasional showers.

There is the potential for more rain into the weekend. The public is advised to stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks during the high-streamflow period.

Residents are reminded to practice extreme caution. The potential impact in the area from flooding can include contaminated flood water, debris, and riverbanks either undermined or undercut.

The RDCK continues to monitor all rivers and creeks and track BC River Forecast Centre and Environment Canada weather information. Be aware of any hazards and proceed with caution.

There has been a significant change to our system and we do not know yet the full extent of the impact. If you have any issues with public roads, power lines, or gas lines, please contact Yellowhead Road and Bridge 1-888-630-1420, BC Hydro 1-800-224-9376 or Fortis BC  1-800-663-9911 directly. 

“Although our creeks and rivers are receding we have now entered our rainy season,” said Chris Johnson, RDCK Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Director.

“With the rivers already swollen from the recent event, and with snow still remaining at higher elevations, our watersheds will continue to be vulnerable to any hot weather or additional precipitation, so please stay vigilant.”

Sandbags and sand remain available to all residents at any of the locations listed on the RDCK website: www.rdck.ca/befloodprepared.

The public should not hesitate to call the RDCK Public Inquiry Line if they have any questions at 250-352-1572 or if they have experienced impacts from this event send an email to eocdamage@rdck.bc.ca. In the email please give your name, a description of the situation, time, date, location, and a photo(s).

For more information about evacuations and emergency preparedness, along with other resources, please visit the RDCK website or the PreparedBC website. 

The RDCK will provide updates on a regular basis through media releases and by updating the website.

Categories: General

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