Winds, storm surge cause some flooding as Okanagan Lake creeps upward
VANCOUVER — The Central Okanagan Regional District reports localized flooding in the wake of a powerful windstorm that swept across southern British Columbia on Tuesday.
The district says in a news release that residences in low-lying areas near lakes throughout the region were affected as winds caused a storm surge and whipped up waves, pushing already high water levels past flood stage.
The district says Okanagan Lake rose 4.5 centimetres during the storm, reaching 342.95 metres, five centimetres below its highest recorded level of 343 metres, set in 1948.
The Okanagan Indian Band issued evacuation orders for several lakeside properties southwest of Vernon, while the district warned residents that water saturated ground creates a greater hazard of falling trees in the aftermath of the storm.