Nazko residents have now been given the option of evacuating because of flooding, or if they have had their road access cut off.
Cariboo Regional District (CRD) spokesperson Emily Epp says RCMP, and two of her colleagues, spent Monday going door-to-door helping people evacuate, in some cases via helicopter if they were cut off by flooding.
“At this point in time one person decided to take up the offer for evacuating in that area,” explains Epp.
“The others declined to leave, but we were able to check in with them all and make sure that they were safe. So far about 50 people have checked in at the Quesnel Emergency Support Services at the Quesnel Rec Centre and that includes members of the Nazko First Nations community as well.”
However, she says they can’t force people to leave their homes.
“The Cariboo Regional District issued evacuation orders for people’s safety. It also provides a way so that people to access emergency support services. In the Nazko area we issued those orders because there is major flooding and road access has been cut off or is at risk of being cut off so we wanted to make sure that people were safe in that area. However, as adults, people do have the right to stay behind. Hopefully their property is high and dry, and they also need to realize that then our ability to support them going forward is very limited.”
The two evacuation orders issued by the CRD cover 120 properties in the Nazko region, which doesn’t include band members that were issued an evacuation order from the Nazko First Nations community.
Search our online map to see if your property falls within an #EvacuationOrder area. https://t.co/KHCCdWpbmO pic.twitter.com/YeddTY8cN1
— CRD (@CaribooRD) April 30, 2018
The BC River Forecast Centre and the Province’s Water Stewardship department have also advised the CRD to expect high stream flows and potential flooding concerns along Baker Creek, the Quesnel River, the Cottonwood River, and the Chilcotin River.
Residents who live along these waterways and their tributaries are advised to take steps to prepare in case of flooding.
This includes:
- Having an emergency plan
- Prepare emergency supplies
- Assess your property and buildings for potential drainage issues
- Take proactive steps to prevent flooding
– with files from George Henderson, My Cariboo Now
Building a sandbag dike is a good way to protect your home & property from rising flood waters. Learn how: https://t.co/6DJTiMCksr #BCflood #2018freshet pic.twitter.com/M6ndQRk102
— Emergency Info BC (@EmergencyInfoBC) May 1, 2018
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