(Cache Creek) Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta says he hasn’t seen flooding like this in 50 years in this area of British Columbia, and he expects even more trouble as blistering temperatures forecast this weekend hit the snowpack.
The elected official argued that more than 100 mobile homes perched on the banks of the Bonaparte River are at risk in the community, 350 kilometers northeast of Vancouver.
He said the Sage and Sands mobile park had been evacuated of about 200 people, who had been sent to nearby Kamloops.
“The Bonaparte River was flowing at the 100-year level yesterday, and there is still a lot of snow in the hills and we expect temperatures of 34 degrees for the next two days,” Ranta said in an interview on Wednesday. .
More evacuation orders will be issued in the coming days, he said.
The city is currently under flood alert, with a local state of emergency extended until May 13.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District also issued an alert for at least one property three miles south of the village on Wednesday, asking residents to be prepared to evacuate on short notice.
Last week, rising waters passed through the Cache Creek fire station, flooded several homes and businesses and temporarily closed Highways 1 and 97.
The village says eight properties remain under evacuation orders following the deluge.
Provincial emergency officials said less than expected rainfall in the south of the province last weekend stabilized the risk of flooding for some time, but forecasters warn warm weather will likely trigger melting snow and other threats.
British Columbia and The River Forecast Center have issued a flood warning for the lower Thompson region, which includes the Bonaparte River and Cache Creek area.
“People are upset. Of course, that’s understandable,” Ranta said of the flooding, while emphasizing the resilience of Cache Creek residents.
“They recognize that it’s not something the village has done or hasn’t done. It’s an act of God bringing all that water down from Cache Creek and the Bonaparte River, and we just have to manage as best we can,” Ranta said.
The flood has already destroyed the community hall parking lot and washed away sidewalks, the mayor said, adding that the five-minute drive from his office to the post office now takes an hour.
The Todd Road bridge over the river cannot be used as both ends have been eroded making travel difficult.
There have been uplifting moments, like when a traveler gave birth in her car while waiting in a queue for Kamloops a few days ago.
“She was a little girl and the ambulance arrived just in time. Both the daughter and the mother are apparently doing well,” Ranta said.
The community of Grand Forks, 500 km east of Vancouver, also declared a local state of emergency last week due to flooding, but has begun to withdraw some protections.
Officials said in an online statement that further measures would remain while they monitor the forecast.
In the Kootenay Boundary Regional District, which includes Grand Forks, some evacuation orders have been downgraded due to receding water levels, and only nine properties in the area remain under evacuation orders.
Kevin Skrepnek, director of community and emergency services for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said in a statement that it has never been more important for residents to be prepared, given the flooding in the area.
The statement said the local emergency operations center has been activated in response to wildfires and flooding in the area.