WATCH: Despite receding water levels this weekend, officials warn residents the worst may be yet to come. Premier John Horgan says residents could be facing a “one in a hundred years” flood season. Isabelle Raghem has the latest.
Shovels in hand, dozens in Grand Forks are spending Sunday filling sand bags. They say they are doing all they can to protect their community from a flood that is only expected to get worse in the coming days.
“There’s another pulse of water to come so we all got to just hang tight and do the best we can,” said Frances Maika of the Regional District of Kootenay-Boundary emergency centre.
While rivers receded in southern parts of the province this weekend, experts say water levels will only rise again ? maybe even higher this time.
Temperatures are set to rise to about 30-degrees in the Interior, which will cause an increase in melting snow from mountain tops.
“These hot temperatures will cause the snow melt to continue and its the runoff from the snowmelt that’s the concern right now,” said Environment Canada Forecaster Greg Pearce Sunday.
“That looks like that’s gonna remain over southern B.C. right through the week.”
Surging rivers have already had a devastating impact flooding roads, homes and businesses.
There have been 23 local states of emergency declared and approximately 4,000 British Columbians have had to evacuate their homes.
Local officials are warning residents the worst may be yet to come
“Now there’s channels and in-loads that the rivers made that it’s never had before, so when the next surge of water comes down it has new places to go and it may come do more damage and come further in so we’re just warning people that that’s a real situation,” added Maika.
The provincial government said it will be reviewing options for more support Monday morning.
Isabelle Raghem
