More than 900 residents still displaced in Merritt, four months after flooding

It's been roughly four months since devastating flood waters caused the evacuation of the entire town of Merritt and hundreds of people remain displaced.

It’s been roughly four months since devastating floodwaters caused the evacuation of the entire town of Merritt in B.C.’s Interior, and hundreds of people remain displaced.

The town of 7,000 was evacuated in mid-November when the Coldwater River burst its banks.

“There are 909 people that are still out of their homes in Merritt. It’s incredible,” said Greg Solecki, recovery manager for the City of Merritt.

Many homes sustained significant damage while others were destroyed altogether.

“The other part is the infrastructure,” said Solecki. “Bridges that have been washed out, roadways … all of the engineering and the assessments are being performed right now so that the river cleanup can start hopefully next week.”

Mark and Sheryl Finnigan’s home sustained a lot of damage. They’re also among the 900-plus residents who are still out of their homes.

“We had to re-insulate all the way halfway through because (the insulation) was all wet,” Mark Finnigan told Global News.

“We’re still living in the motel. Can’t live (back home). There’s no toilet.”