B.C. officials warn Interior residents to prepare for possible 'significant flooding' this weekend

Residents of flood-prone communities in the B.C. Interior should be ready to leave their homes if ordered to do so this weekend, warned B.C.'s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma Thursday afternoon.

Ma began her remarks at a news conference by extending her "deepest gratitude" to residents of Cache Creek, Grand Forks and Okanagan Indian Band land as they deal with ongoing flooding in their areas.

"It is a dynamic situation that is quickly evolving, but significant flooding in these regions is possible this weekend," Ma said, noting that periods of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are in the forecast.

Flooding has intensified in Cache Creek and elsewhere as this week has progressed, with rapidly melting snow being the primary culprit.

"We're seeing a very rapid transition into spring," said Dave Campbell, head of the B.C. River Forecast Centre, at the news conference.

He said the recent sustained period of abnormally high temperatures in the Interior has "really onset a period of rapid snowmelt."

Campbell added that the rain in the forecast will add additional runoff to already-swollen rivers in the region and could exacerbate flooding in areas where it's already occurring or cause flooding in areas that aren't yet flooded.

On Thursday, Highways 1 and 97 remained closed in the village, and a mudslide had closed a stretch of Highway 3 east of Castlegar. Flooding had also closed Highway 99 north of Lillooet.

Properties in Cache Creek, Grand Forks, the Regional District of Central Kootenay and on Okanagan Indian Band land have seen evacuation orders and alerts in recent days because of flooding and landslides.

As of noon, there were seven evacuation orders and six alerts due to flooding and landslides across the province, Ma said, though she stressed that residents should check with their local governments for the most up-to-date information.

"Having an emergency plan and grab-and-go bag is important for all British Columbians," Ma said. "If an evacuation alert or evacuation order is issued, you must follow the instructions provided by your local government or First Nation."

MITIGATION AND PREVENTION CONCERNS

On Wednesday, residents of Cache Creek expressed frustration to CTV News that more had not been done to prevent flooding in the community, which has experienced significant floods before.

"They (government officials) knew the heat wave was coming," Charlene Nelson said. "They knew the flood was coming."

"It’s super frustrating because we know this (flooding) has happened over the past five years and it seems that nothing changes,” said her husband Derek.

Ma was asked about this frustration Thursday, and said she's glad to hear that residents are looking for ways to prevent future flooding.

"The people of Cache Creek right now are facing an immense challenge," the minister said. "It is a very scary situation to see your community flooded like that."

She noted that the province provided funding to the municipality for the creation of a flood mitigation plan in 2020.

"That work was completed in 2021, and following the flooding that we're seeing right now, we'll be reaching out to the community to understand how we can support them in actually implementing that flood mitigation plan that they've developed," she said.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Michele Brunoro and The Canadian Press