Water levels drop in Merritt, B.C. but evacuation likely to last a week or more, says city
Global News
The City of Merritt said Tuesday it estimates an evacuation order will remain in place for at least a week due to flooding and dangerous conditions.
Water levels are quickly dropping in Merritt, B.C., providing local officials and residents a glimpse of the extent of damage from floods.
As of Tuesday, the south-central B.C. city was still without potable water or functional sanitation systems, and evacuated residents were warned it could be a week or more before they can return home.
“All this means is that we’re getting to a point where we can start thinking about assessing the damage, looking at what needs to be done to our infrastructure, to our wastewater plants,” said Greg Lowis, Merritt’s director of corporate services.
Merritt was evacuated Monday after two days of torrential rain swallowed streets, houses and vehicles, displacing thousands of people.
According to the city’s website, there is still “significant danger” despite the receded waters, and all bridges over the Coldwater River have been shut down due to structural integrity concerns.
The Middlesboro Bridge has already collapsed, isolating the neighbourhood of Collettville from the rest of the city.
Anyone who did not evacuate Collettville on Monday must now shelter in place, said Lowis.
“Frankly it’s not a good position to be in right now for anyone who was ordered to leave and stayed behind,” he told Global News.
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