Flood warnings for more southern Interior rivers as B.C.’s flood threat climbs

VANCOUVER – Recent downpours in many parts of British Columbia's southern Interior have added to flooding woes across the already soggy region, prompting new flood warnings for several rivers, forcing more evacuations and closing a number of roads.

The River Forecast Centre has issued flood warnings for Mission Creek in Kelowna, as well as the West Kettle, Kettle and Granby rivers in the Boundary region and the Salmon River near Salmon Arm.

Flood watches are posted for a number of rivers, including the Similkameen where high water has cut Highway 3 west of Keremeos and states of local emergency have been declared in parts of the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District, as well as the Town of Osoyoos.

Another 29 properties were ordered evacuated Wednesday night in Grand Forks as the Kettle River continues to surge, bringing the total number of evacuations in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary to 33, while nearly 800 more properties are on evacuation alert.

Rising levels of Brown Creek isolated 28 properties north of Grand Forks late Wednesday and the regional district says rivers in the area are expected to reach their highest levels since 1948.

EmergencyInfoBC, the body that provides information during provincial emergencies, says flooding has led to evacuation orders or alerts in seven regional districts and seven First Nations around the province.