City warns residents near Mission Creek to prepare for high water

UPDATED: 3:40 p.m.

Kelowna fire chief and emergency program co-ordinator Travis Whiting says the best thing residents can do this weekend is stay away from creeks and other places prone to high waters.

"Certainly we’re following it closely and indications are late Saturday night we could potentially see a significant amount of rain, but is still is dependent and we’ll be watching it carefully over the next day or so to see what happens ... currently we don’t see any concerns with widespread flooding. 

"The impact of rain isn’t immediate, because it happens in the hills and takes time to come down, so we generally have often up to 12 to 24 hours between a significant rain event before we see those actual impacts."

He says flooding events in previous years such as 2017 and 2018 have paved the way for how they respond to similar weather events now.

"What we saw in 2017 and 2018 were both significantly higher, but it also provided a huge opportunity for us to learn, and so we’ve got significant mapping in place now that really gives us a better understand about what levels, what actions need to take place.

"We’re going in much more eyes wide open than we would have for instance in 2017, when the lake rise came up so suddenly on us and we were really reacting, and so we use that knowledge now and it’s easier to understand what’s a risk and what’s not a risk." 

Flood warnings and advisories can be monitored on the BC River Forecast Centre website. 

ORIGINAL: 2:40 p.m.

High water levels on Mission Creek are expected this weekend as Environment Canada anticipates significant rainfall, thunderstorms and warm temperatures.

Property owners who have previously experienced flooding from Mission Creek are advised to be prepared and stay updated with the city's announcements. 

The BC River Forecast Centre says Mission Creek flows are expected to peak rapidly on Monday, briefly eclipsing 2018's peak and a 50-year return period. 

In preparation, the City will be placing sand, sandbags and pre-filled sandbags at the Cook Road Boat Launch for residents who want to protect their property. 

Sandbags (not pre-filled) are also available from the Kelowna Fire Department at 2255 Enterprise Way. Residents are encouraged to call 250-469-8801 during normal business hours (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to ensure a staff member will be available to assist them. 

Sandbags previously dropped at Rowcliffe Park, Sutherland Ave. and Burne Ave. will remain at those locations but will not be replenished at this time. 

Flood warnings and advisories can be monitored on the BC River Forecast Centre website. 

For more information about flood preparedness, visit Central Okanagan Emergency Operations (CORD) and Prepared BC websites. 

Photo: BC River Forecast Centre