A village in B.C.'s Central Interior has declared a state of emergency due to flooding about a year after the local fire chief was swept away.
Warm temperatures and a high snowpack are causing rivers, creeks and streams to rise, in some cases washing out roads.
Particularly of concern is Cache Creek, where officials declared a local state of emergency Friday over the flood risk.
Few details have been provided thus far, but the Ministry of Transportation said Highways 1, 8 and 97 were closed Friday night due to a washout. The highways reopened before noon Saturday.
The village of about 1,000 dealt with rising waters last spring as well, and lost a beloved member of the community as a result. Fire Chief Clayton Cassidy, 59, was checking flow levels east of the village when he was swept away by the rushing creek. His body was found a month later, and he was laid to rest after a funeral attended by nearly 2,000.
Flooding in the area could be even worse this year, a municipal employee said.
The local school district posted on Facebook that Cache Creek Elementary will be closed Monday and Tuesday as a result, and that further decisions will be made on a day-to-day basis.
A Cache Creek Facebook page advertised firefighters were organizing a sandbagging event Saturday for those who live along the creek or Bonaparte River.
The River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch for the Central Interior, including the Bonaparte, Nazko and West Road rivers, and tributaries surrounding Cache Creek, Merritt, Williams Lake, Quesnel and nearby areas.
High streamflow advisories are in effect for the South Interior, Boundary, Kootenay and Peace regions.
Flood risk has prompted evacuation alerts for parts of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. An update at 4 p.m. said alerts had been issued to 58 properties in the Tulameen Area.
The latest evacuation updates will be posted on the RDOS website.
