Hundreds of properties remain under evacuation orders following flooding

Many people forced from their homes by flooding in southern B.C. have been allowed to return, but officials say there are still areas of concern in many parts of the province. Evacuation orders for more than 1,000 properties were downgraded to alerts over the long weekend, though residents of about 700 properties remained out of their homes Tuesday.

Another 6,500 properties were on evacuation alert.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen said drones were used to re-evaluate its evacuation alerts and orders. Residents would be allowed to return to their homes “as soon as the situation is appropriate,” the regional district said.

Temperatures have been unseasonably high across much of the province in recent weeks, melting snow faster than waterways can cope with it, said David Campbell of the River Forecast Centre.

“We, not surprisingly, have seen ongoing, dramatic, rapid snowmelt across the province over the last few weeks,” he said.

Enough snow has melted to reduce the risk for many areas that have seen significant flooding, Campbell said, but large melting snowpacks could still overwhelm the Thompson and Fraser rivers, and waterways in the Kootenay region. Severe rainfall is also a concern, he added, because June is known to bring wet weather.

“It’s difficult, really, to kind of stand down from the seasonal risk until we’re well past those weather risks,” he said.

Chris Duffy of Emergency Management B.C. said there are still about 300 Canadian Forces personnel and about 380 wildfire crews helping with the flood response.