Kamloops, B.C. — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) continues to respond to flooding in Electoral Area “I” (Blue Sky Country) and Electoral Area “N” (Beautiful Nicola Valley – South).
There are 10 active evacuation orders affecting 103 properties, with a state of local emergency in place for Electoral Area “I” and Electoral Area “N.”
The TNRD Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) remains active to support recovery for residents in areas experiencing flooding.
Staff have begun doing rapid damage assessment (RDA) in flood-affected areas of the region. RDA work started in Brookmere and the surrounding area over the weekend and will be starting in the coming days for evacuated sections of the Highway 8 corridor. Properties affected by flooding that our crews can access will be labelled with “Red,” “Yellow,” and “Green” placards.
- Green: The building has been assessed and while apparent structural or other safety hazards are not found, a more comprehensive assessment may reveal safety hazards
- Yellow: Buildings are considered either suitable for restricted access until issues are resolved, or use may be possible in parts of the building that have not been damaged
- Red: You must not enter a building with a red placard because it is unsafe. In a flood event, this could be due to the depth of water in the home. If water has gone down and the building has been reassessed and a new red placard is on the building, then some form of work is necessary to repair the unsafe condition
RCMP conducted evacuations by helicopter along the Highway 8 corridor in recent days, which has now been completed.
BC Hydro is continuing restoration efforts and conducting aerial assessments of damage to its infrastructure in flood-affected areas. Communications in the Spences Bridge area has been impacted, and Telus has now set up a mobile communications tower in Spences Bridge to support connectivity.
Indefinite road closures are in place for Highway 5 from Merritt to Hope, for Highway 8 from Merritt to Spences Bridge, and for Highway 1 from Spences Bridge to Hope. Several local roads and bridges are also closed, and there is currently no access to the City of Merritt for the public. Travel restrictions are in place for highways that are open between the southern Interior and coastal B.C. The public is asked to avoid travel to areas under evacuation order. Up-to-date information on road conditions and closures can be found on the DriveBC website.
Emergency Support Services (ESS) is available for evacuated residents who are without access to other sources of support. ESS Reception Centres are available in Kamloops (McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre, 1655 Island Parkway), Kelowna (Willow Park Church, 438 Highway 33), Salmon Arm (Prestige Harbourfront Resort, 251 Harbourfront Drive) and Penticton (Senior’s Drop-In Centre, 2965 South Main Street).
A temporary restriction on non-essential boating has been implemented by Transport Canada in flooded and evacuated areas, and affects several waterways in the TNRD: https://www.tnrd.ca/services/emergency-services/2021-floods/non-essential-boating-restriction/.
Residents can visit the Recovery and Support Information page on the TNRD website for details on accessing Disaster Financial Assistance, registering with Red Cross, and B.C. government information on recovering from a flood event and returning home.
Residents are encouraged to follow conventional and social media channels and to sign up for Voyent Alert! to stay up to date on the latest orders and alerts from the TNRD: https://www.tnrd.ca/services/emergency-services/emergency-alerts/.
The TNRD evacuation status dashboard also provides up-to-date information on evacuation orders and alerts in the region, which can be found here
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Contact:
TNRD Emergency Operations Centre
250-377-7188 (Toll Free at 1-877-377-7188)
emergency@tnrd.ca