Some B.C. flood evacuees still awaiting hotel reimbursements, but officials promise money is coming

Vancouver -

The B.C. government has promised reimbursements are coming for an unconfirmed number of flood evacuees who have had to cover their own emergency accommodations.

Deputy Premier Mike Farnworth addressed those individuals at a news conference over the weekend, acknowledging there have been some gaps in emergency supports during the province's ongoing response to storm-related catastrophes in several communities.

"This past week has challenged all of us time and time again, and while we've seen countless examples of heroism and community resilience, we are still very much responding to this emergency and we will be for the next short while," Farnworth said Saturday.

"For those who have been waiting, we will be reimbursing accommodation costs for those who are eligible. The process for that reimbursement is being worked through right now."

The deputy premier did not indicate how long that process might take. Thousands of B.C. residents have been displaced for a full week now, including the entire community of Merritt, which was placed under a city-wide evacuation order last Monday.

The city's more than 7,000 residents were instructed to flee to Kelowna or Kamloops, unless they have friends or family elsewhere who can temporarily house them. Many have had to stay in hotels or motels.

Emergency Management B.C. could not provide an estimate for the number of flood-impacted residents who are waiting on reimbursement.

The problem stems from the "high number of evacuees received in a short window of time" at emergency reception centres last week, a spokesperson told CTV News in an email.

"In this unique circumstance, some reception centres had to triage evacuees and some people have not yet been contacted regarding supports," the spokesperson said. "We're working to fix this issue, and will be reimbursing accommodation costs for those who are eligible."