Osoyoos Lake evacuations still in effect

It might be some time before evacuated residents can go home after Osoyoos Lake swamped their streets and neighbourhoods.

The Town of Osoyoos is working on a plan to get 16 properties on Solana Key and two others on Harbour Key off the evacuation list as quickly as possible.

But up to 38 others — and another 47 recreational units inside Paradise Park — will have to wait.

“There’s a process that must be followed to ensure the safety of the residents, and people are asked to be patient during this process,” said Janette Van Vianen, the town’s director of corporate services and emergency management point person through this season’s flooding.

“Other evacuated properties will be monitored and will be placed on the assessment list based on the lake levels, safety issues and information provided by public works with regards to sewer.”

The work to begin returning people to their properties comes as Osoyoos Lake continues to recede, its water level falling to 915.31 feet — as measured by the US Geological Survey at its Oroville station — late Tuesday evening.

But the town is still warning residents to be wary.

“The lake levels, although receding right now, may still rise a bit during the week as warmer temperatures will cause more snowmelt,” explained Van Vianen. “People are asked to keep their sandbags in place until the town notifies them otherwise.”

The town is also telling residents in the Harbour Key neighbourhood who do get to go home that they cannot put water into the sewer system.

“The sewer has been shut down in the evacuated area and use of toilets, showers and doing laundry can cause backups in the neighbouring homes,” Van Vianen said.

The homes will also be without power until Fortis BC makes its own determination to plug them back in again.

Mayor Sue McKortoff is talking of a town event to celebrate the community’s effort to keep the lake at bay.

“We can’t be too quick to start saying hooray,” said McKortoff.

“But I do think we need to do something in this town when we kind of get things back to semi-normal to thank so many of the people who did so much.”

Meanwhile, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen on Wednesday rescinded evacuation alerts for 663 properties in Areas B and G, and another 589 properties in Keremeos, along the Similkameen River.

It also, however, evacuated nine properties in Twin Lakes on Tuesday night.