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
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.