Evacuation alert, state of emergency declared in B.C.’s central Kootenay

A regional district in southern British Columbia has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation alert for all but two of its communities over flooding concerns caused by a weekend storm.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay issued an evacuation alert for all of its communities except for the cities of Castlegar and Nelson late Saturday evening.

A spokesman for the regional district called it an "unprecedented" alert, prompted by concerns about a storm and the melting snowpack.

It followed that with evacuation orders for the small community of Crawford Bay, ordering more than 40 properties to be cleared.

Much of southern B.C.'s Okanagan and Kootenay regions are under flood watches, with residents advised to be ready to leave their homes.

British Columbia's central Interior has already been the subject of several flood warnings this season.

This report was first published by the Canadian Press on May 31, 2020.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2020

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Kathy Michaels

Kathy Michaels has been an Okanagan-based journalist for more than a decade, working for community papers along the valley and beyond.
She’s won provincial and national awards in business, news and feature writing and says that her love for telling a good story rivals only her fondness for turning a good phrase.
If you have a story that deserves to be told in a thoughtful and compassionate manner, don’t hesitate to reach out.
To reach Kathy call 250-718-0428 or email kmichaels@infonews.ca.