A mudslide which took out a portion of Highway 3A near Keremeos earlier this month. Photo TranBC
The threat of flooding has prompted an expanded evacuation order for an area of central British Columbia as an impending stretch of warm weather has the potential to speed snowmelt later this week and swell already surging waterways in many parts of the province.
Seventy-four properties have been added to an evacuation order issued earlier Sunday by the Cariboo Regional District, bringing the total to 121 properties in the Upper Nazko area in danger of flooding or loss of access routes.
A news release from the Regional District says members of the RCMP will be going door-to-door with the evacuation order and any residents already cut off by rising waters will be airlifted to an evacuation centre in Quesnel.
In southern B.C., evacuation orders also remain in effect for 148 properties in the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District community of Tulameen, several more north of Oliver and for nine in the community of Killiney Beach on the northwest side of Okanagan Lake.
Many more evacuation alerts are posted, including one by the Regional District of Central Kootenay covering homes in the Six Mile area after a mudslide Sunday.
Flood warnings have been issued by the River Forecast Centre for the Nazko and West Road rivers of central B.C., while flood watches are in effect for many other waterways around the Cache Creek, Merritt, Williams Lake and Quesnel areas.
Recent rains, extremely heavy snowpacks and another round of temperatures in the mid to high 20s for many parts of southern B.C. are expected to add to flooding risks in the coming days.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said 24 properties had been added to an evacuation order in the Cariboo Regional District.
