INFORMATION RELEASE                                                                                                         

Saturday, November 27, 2021 11:00 am

EOC Update: regional overview

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Emergency Operations Centre (RDOS EOC) is advising residents to be aware of potential flooding. Based on available information, including weather advisories, areas prone to flooding may flood again as the weather changes.

Evacuation Alerts along the Similkameen River and Tulameen River are in place to advise residents of the potential dangers of slope instability near the rivers. Properties located at higher elevations have not been identified as areas of immediate concern.

Evacuation Alert 
An Evacuation Alert prepares residents to evacuate the area should an Evacuation Order be issued. As much advance notice as possible will be provided prior to an Evacuation Order, however you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.

Evacuation Alerts are issued out of an abundance of caution based on recommendations by subject matter experts.

High Streamflow Advisory
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has issued a High Steamflow advisory for the:

• Tulameen River and Similkameen River

• Coldwater River and Lower Nicola River

River levels are expected to see rises on Saturday 27 November and into Sunday 28 November. Stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks.

Road Closures
There are due to be proactive closures on Major Highways in BC starting from 12:00 today.  Due to incoming weather, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is proactively closing Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton. Additional closures will be on Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon. Highway 1 between Popkum and Hope remains closed.

Weather Patterns
Dangerous weather pattern for BC have been forcasted. Three atmospheric rivers forecast to affect BC over the next seven days and have been consistently forecast. Event duration: Thursday, November 25 to Wednesday, December 1, 2021. High winds may accompany these storms on the BC Coast and parts of the BC Interior.

Recent EOC Updates
EOC Update: Evacuation Alert RESCIND in Electoral Area B and Electoral Area G Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 1:30 pm

EOC Update: Evacuation ORDER issued for Electoral Area H Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 11:30 am

EOC Update: Evacuation Order RESCIND to Alert in Electoral Area G Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 10:30 am

EOC Update: Evacuation Order RESCIND to Alert in Electoral Area B Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 10:00 am

 Evacuation Alert issued for a specified area along the Similkameen River in Electoral Area H Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021 11:00 am

The RDOS EOC is working with the Town of Princeton EOC to provide support. For the latest updates, please visit https://princeton.ca.

Rapid Damage Assessments Teams
More than 400 rapid damage assessments have been conducted across the Regional District as of Friday, November 26, 2021.

Rapid Damage Assessments numbers to date (RDOS)
239 green placards: re-entry permitted if the property is not located within an Evacuation Order area.
159 yellow placards: access is restricted subject to varying conditions.
8 red placards: do not enter unless authorization has been granted by the jurisdictional authority.

Sandbagging locations
Six locations arecurrently operational within the Regional District. Sand and sandbags are available to protect homes, businesses, and properties. Sandbagging locations are supplied with sand and empty sandbags. Please arrive with proper equipment including gloves, boots, safety glasses, and a shove. Be prepared to fill your own sandbags. Sand is not intended to be taken off-site for other purposes.