‘We can’t lose any more houses’: More residents evacuated in Parker Cove | 24CA News
The Okanagan Indian Band has expanded an already-in-place evacuation order for an space in Parker Cove.
A portion of Falcon Avenue was evacuated Monday night and the remaining properties had been evacuated Friday afternoon.
Hundreds of volunteers and residents have come out over the course of the week to help in defending the Parker Cove group from extra flooding from Whiteman’s Creek after it had already breached its banks on Tuesday.
“The high snow has not melted, the log jam that we hear about, the houses are still in jeopardy. We lost 70 houses in Kiliney Beach — we can’t lose any more houses,” stated volunteer Wendy Waters.
The Okanagan Indian Band launched an announcement Friday afternoon, saying crews are targeted on log jams in addition to dredging the creek to assist restore flows to the creek mattress.
“It’s better now that they put the machine back there and dug it out a bit so hopefully that relieves some of the pressure cause we were getting a log jam in the trees and that makes (the water) rise quicker, ” stated Ron Bergeron, Falcon Avenue resident.
“They’re doing a great job to try and prepare. They’ve got a big excavator in the creek right behind my place that’s digging out bushes and digging the creek down further,” stated Laura Muller, one other Falcon Avenue resident.
“You always try to be optimistic. But in the back of your mind, it’s always a worry, your house.”
One nice shock for the residents is the variety of volunteers who’ve come from all throughout the Okanagan to assist or donate meals.
“You got people here every day, same people…they don’t even live here or anything,” stated Bergeron.
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