Mission Creek during a flood earlier this month. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Center canceled the local state of emergency declared in the city two weeks ago. The state of emergency, declared due to local flooding along Mission Creek, Scotty Creek and parts of Mill Creek, ended at 12:01 p.m. this morning. While the local state of emergency is over, emergency officials say they will continue to monitor the weather and advise if further action is needed. The snow of the mountains has melted in recent weeks and the levels of the creek have fallen, however, extreme rainfall could cause the creeks to swell again. “As of this morning, Lake Okanagan is 342.62 meters above sea level or 14 centimeters above the full pool. Other lakes such as Ellison (Duck) and Kalamalka also remain above the full pool.” say EOC officials. “As the long weekend approaches, sailors are also encouraged to stay away from shore and maintain low speeds to reduce potential coastline erosion from alarms and waves. “Until the water levels drop, residents are being asked to leave the washed-up debris along the waterfront in place to protect it from corrosion.” Residents of areas usually affected by floods are asked to hold in place any sandbags or other mitigation materials until the risk of flooding has passed. Removing sandbags reminds you that it is illegal to empty creeks, lakes, streams or beaches.
