Nelson, BC: The BC River Forecast centre has issued a Flood Watch for the West Kootenay region which covers the entire Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), including the tributaries around Trout Lake, Lardeau River, Kaslo, Nakusp, and Nelson. Warmer weather over the past few days has led to increase snowmelt rates and rising river levels through the region. Environment Canada is forecasting 50 to 100+ mm of rain through Monday.
High river flows are expected late Friday through Monday or Tuesday across the region. The current high end precipitation scenarios in weather models indicate the potential for flooding through the Kootenays.
Fast-flowing rivers pose increased risk to safety. Stay away from rivers and river banks, which can be unstable. Never drive through floodwaters, as unseen hazards and current can be life threatening. All residents should exercise extreme caution around rivers and creeks and report erosion, landslides, or flooding to the Provincial Emergency Coordinator Centre at 1.800.663.3456.
It is imperative RDCK residents take the necessary steps to be flood prepared. The key to emergency preparedness is knowing the risks and having a plan. Know the hazards in your areas and take the time NOW to assemble your family Emergency Kit and Grab and Go Bag. Your plan should also include where you will meet if you need to evacuate, including how you would move pets and livestock to a safe area, in the event the situation worsens, and an Evacuation Order is enforced.
Sandbags and sand are available for residents at any of the locations listed on the RDCK website: www.rdck.ca/befloodprepared. Residents must come prepared with their own shovels to fill the bags.
Sign up for emergency notifications, through Voyent Alert! The RDCK uses the mass-notification system to send out critical information to residents and visitors in the event of an emergency.
For details about evacuations and emergency preparedness, along with other resources, please visit www.rdck.ca/eocinfo. Follow the RDCK website and Facebook for the most up to date information.
For more emergency preparedness resources:
- Current RDCK Evacuation Alerts, Orders, and Rescinds or call 250.352.7701
- Report flooding or any new hazards to the 24-hour toll free provincial emergency number at 1.800.663.3456
- Sign up for RDCK Emergency Notification System to receive notifications
- Follow the BC River Forecast Centre for flood warning and advisories
- Prepared BC
- Public weather alerts for BC from Environment Canada
- FortisBC Kootenay Lake Level Monitoring
- Fortis BC Outage Map or call 1.866.436.7847
- BC Hydro Outage Map or call 1.800.224.9376
- Nelson Hydro 1.877.324.9376
- Drive BC for highway closures and road conditions
- Yellowhead Road and Bridge (YRB) 1.888.630.1420