First severe flooding now ice jams threaten homes in rural Princeton, Keremeos

A month ago the Similkameen River spilled its banks causing severe flooding in Princeton and Keremeos, and now ice jams are threatening people's homes once again.

As a result of the flooding threat posed by ice jams, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen’s emergency operations centre has put five properties on evacuation alert in the rural areas of Princeton and Keremeos.

Although last month’s flooding caused significant erosion along the river, the response to ice jams has not changed.

“The landscape has changed but our response has remained exactly same,” said Sean Vaisler, manager of emergency services with the regional district.

The alerts were issued last night, Dec. 29, and Vaisler said there have been no changes to the status of the jams since then. However he expects to provide an update later today.

The affected properties are all on Highway 3 – the addresses are 1260, 1264 and 1306 in the rural Princeton area, and 3455 and 3491 in the rural Keremeos area.

To see a map of the impacted areas go here.

For the most up-to-date information, the regional district recommends residents get the Civic Ready app on their phones. Updates are also provided on the regional district's website here.

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