Record lake level could be smashed
Okanagan Lake, which has already reached the 1948 flood record high level of 343 metres, could rise another 10 to 15 centimetres in the coming weeks, say officials. “These predictions will continue to evolve as the snowpack at higher elevations melts,” said Brian Reardon, director of the Central Okanagan emergency operations centre. “We are informing the public out of a sense of caution.”
The lake level is expected to peak in about seven to 10 days, but it will likely remain high until July, he said.
About 80 per cent of the snowpack remains in higher elevations, and with warmer weather expected over the weekend Mission Creek flows could exceed 100 cubic metres-per-second in the coming days.
“Due to unseasonably high temperatures, the next few days will be critical,” said Reardon.
“Residents living along Mission Creek, especially those closer to the lake, should reinforce protective measures.”
Environment Canada is predicting a high of 27 C in Kelowna today and a high of 28 C on Sunday.
A similar wind storm to this past Tuesday, which caused significant damage to many properties along the lake, could occur again this coming Wednesday or Thursday, said Reardon, adding the lake is already 10 centimetres higher than it was on Tuesday.
“Property owners should take a look at what happened this past Tuesday, add about 20 to 25 centimetres of water on top of that, and then consider how that would impact their protective measures,” said Reardon. “What we're seeing is that a lot of the protective measures need to be reinforced.”
Property owners are asked to ensure they are piling sandbags effectively to withstand waves.
The most effective setup for sandbags is described as either a pyramid shape or a tall stack of sandbags at the back with several progressively smaller stacks of sandbags in front as reinforcement. All evacuation alerts and orders remain in effect.
For more information, go online to cordemergency.ca.