Merritt, B.C., residents in evacuation zones ordered to leave ahead of possible flooding
The City of Merritt is urging everyone under an evacuation order to leave the area by 3 p.m. Sunday as rain and snowmelt prompt river levels to rise.
In a statement, the city says anyone in the city south of Nicola Avenue - which has been under an evacuation order since Nov. 15 - should leave by 3 p.m.
The city has been allowing some residents in the area subject to the evacuation order to access their properties between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily as part of its recovery plan.
The order remains in place, however, and the city says it will not be sending emergency response personnel to conduct door-to-door notifications on Sunday. It also says it's suspending day access to the affected areas until further notice.
The latest warning for the hard-hit city comes as a result of consultation with the B.C. River Forecast Centre, which has observed a rise in the Coldwater River at the Brookmere gauge, according to the city.
"This provides an approximately an eight-hour lead time until there is a corresponding rise at Merritt," the city's statement reads.
"The current trajectory of the water levels indicates that flooding in Merritt is a possibility."
The entire city was ordered to evacuate earlier this month as a historic rainstorm and swelling rivers inundated the city and rendered its wastewater treatment plant inoperable.
On Sunday, the city said it has been working to protect critical infrastructure, including the wastewater treatment plant and sanitary manholes.
"Flood protection measures are also being placed at strategic locations and engineers continue to assess the river banks."
Those living north of Nicola Avenue are on evacuation alert, and should be prepared to leave on short notice, the city said.
“Despite an incredible effort by city crews to reinforce and restore the banks of the Coldwater River, our community is still vulnerable to flooding," said Merritt Mayor Linda Brown in the statement.
"The river is rising and we are monitoring our river banks and are prepared to do what is necessary to keep our citizens safe.”
Earlier in the day, the Thompson Nicola Regional District issued an evacuation order for 56 properties to the west of the City of Merritt. The district warned that rising waters posed a threat to a bridge in the affected area.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.