A large accumulation of snow and a week of steady rains have saturated flat lands and hillsides, causing issues for homeowners and drivers in the Kootenays.
For the last week a waterfall has been spilling down into a ditch beside Highway 21, narrowing the road to single lane traffic. A mudslide tore huge boulders loose west of Summit Creek on Highway 3 on Saturday, blocking the route for nearly a day before one lane could be opened. Reports of basement floods are surfacing and West Creston has several roads covered with water. There has been flooding of buildings on Highway 3 in Erickson.
“We’ve heard of several houses being affected, and our crews have been dealing with water line breaks for the last month,” Creston Mayor Ron Toyota said on Monday.
Late on Monday the Regional District of Central Kootenay activated its Emergency Operations Centre “due to numerous small flood and slide events throughout the district.”
“Public safety is the RDCK’s number one priority,” said Andrew Bellerby, EOC Director and General Manager of Fire and Emergency Services. “The RDCK is ready to assist our residents in case of an emergency, if needed.”
Creston and Area A, B and C residents can contact Emergency Program Coordinator Alanna Garrett for sand and sandbags at 250-254-8255. The RDCK web site has information about flooding or slides, and asks that residents report debris indicators or hazards call the 24-hour provincial Emergency Coordination Centre toll-free at 1-800-663-3456.