Flooding forces evacuation alert for 400 people in central B.C. village

VANCOUVER – An evacuation alert has been issued for people who live in a small village in central British Columbia as flood water levels rise.

Wendy Coomber, communications director for the Cache Creek Emergency Operation Centre, says about 400 people in 160 residences along the Bonaparte River have been told they may have to leave on short notice.

She says people in at least 10 properties were evacuated Wednesday, including two motels and one campground.

Coomber says there are other properties along the river that are not yet included in the alert but that could change depending on water levels.

Cache Creek and other streams flow into the Bonaparte River, where the water level is higher than normal.

Flood warnings remain in effect in the Cariboo, Chilcotin, Nazko and West Road rivers west of Quesnel.

The River Forecast Centre says recent warm temperatures have increased the rate of snowmelt, but because the ground is still frozen much of the water is running overland, increasing the flood risk.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2020