More Merritt, B.C., residents return home as flood evacuation orders once again lifted
More residents of Merritt, B.C. were given the green light to return home after the city once again lifted flood evacuation orders.
Residents of properties in Phases 3 and 4 of the city’s return home plan had previously been under an evacuation order and only allowed day access.
On Friday, however, that order was lifted, leading to flocks of residents returning home.
"(There’s) a lot going on today, lots of people are back cleaning up, there's stuff piled on the road, were hauling mud away," said Merritt resident Howard McKinnon in an interview with CTV News Vancouver on Saturday.
“Everywhere you look, there’s people trying to get their lives back together.”
McKinnon has spent the last few weeks taking his excavator around town, offering a hand to anyone who needs it. He says the recent snowfall and freezing temperatures have added to the chaos.
“We need boots on the ground,” he said.
While the vast majority of residents are now free to return home on a full-time basis, the city has deemed 366 properties to be “unliveable.”
“We’ve instituted a new evacuation area that is specifically houses that are either damaged or have issues with their utilities, like gas, hydro or water,” Merritt information officer Alan Stebbing told CTV News.
Stebbing says as more people return home, the number of unliveable houses could rise.
"We expect this number to start to vary,” Stebbing said. “As people are getting back into their homes, we are finding some that are unliveable that weren't included, so we're including them to make sure those people get services.”
After previously being under a “do not consume” order, the city’s water supply is now back to a boil water advisory, according to Interior Health.
"(There were) a couple of major milestones yesterday to bringing the residents back to Merritt and working back towards a sense of normalcy,” Stebbing said.
However, McKinnon says there’s been a lack of help from all levels of government, and residents have taken on a “do it ourselves” mentality.
"Really, at this point, nobody's counting on any help from anybody officially, so we're just going to keep carrying on doing what we're doing.”
A spokesperson for the B.C. government told CTV News on Saturday that Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth will travel to Merritt early next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.