B.C. floods: District of Hope declares local state of emergency, issues evacuation alerts

The District of Hope declared a local state of emergency Sunday evening amid ongoing concerns about sustained heavy rain.

The district said the move was meant to facilitate any evacuation alerts or orders that could be necessary from the latest atmospheric river hitting B.C.

Residents of homes on Riverview Drive were also placed under an evacuation alert Sunday evening, and told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

A single property in Hope on Tunnels Road was already under an evacuation order.

The Fraser Valley remained under a rainfall warning Sunday, with between 100 and 125 millimetres of precipitation in the forecast.

“Today we are experiencing more precipitation but not as much as on Nov. 14 and 15. Both the Coquihalla and Fraser Rivers, although high now, are not expected to reach the levels of the (Nov. 14 and 15),” Mayor Peter Robb said in a statement Sunday.

“Water effects are being felt in our low-lying areas such as the East Kawkawa Lake area, the southern end of Kettle Valley Road, Othello Road and other locales.”

Meanwhile, the Fraser Valley Regional District expanded an evacuation order on Othello Road east of Hope to a total of 13 properties Sunday afternoon.

A number of properties in Laidlaw, southwest of Hope, were also placed on evacuation alert Sunday due to flooding in multiple waterways including Lorenzetta Creek, Wahleach Creek and Hunter Creek.

The latest round of rain is forecast to let up on Monday, before a third and potentially more powerful storm arrives Tuesday and into Wednesday.