(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Adam Donnelly and Aaron Schulze

Kamloops Emergency Support Services

City of Kamloops prepared to receive flooding evacuees from Merritt and area

Nov 15, 2021 | 5:01 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops has mobilized its Emergency Social Services department to receive evacuees fleeing floodwaters in Merritt.

The City announced that all non-essential activities at McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre are cancelled effective immediately and until further notice to assist Merritt residents.

Kamloops Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Dan Sutherland is also the city’s emergency program coordinator. He praised Merritt city staff for their timely response to the flooding and says splitting evacuees between Kelowna and Kamloops will ease the pressure put on any one community.

“I understand they’ve done it so half of the population will come to Kamloops and the other half will go to Kelowna. Definitely brings the numbers down,” Sutherland says. “How many people are going to come? I really don’t know. We’re going to do our best, and all efforts going forward here to take care of the folks who do come to Kamloops.”

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The City of Merritt asked its residents to stay with family or friends who reside outside of the city if they could. Kamloops Chief Administrative Officer David Trawin told CFJC Today that shelter is limited, but if Kamloops can’t accommodate the potential thousands of Merritt residents, he understands Salmon Arm has stepped up with facilities available for shelter as well.

Trawin adds that the City of Kamloops is working with accommodations for hotels at this point, and that public facilities would be a last resort. Emergency Support Services at McArthur Island will be open until midnight Monday and will re-open the next morning.

Residents of Shackan and Cooks Ferry Indians bands have also been advised to come to Kamloops.

Sutherland says according to an Emergency Management BC (EMBC) briefing that happened earlier Monday, Kamloops should avoid the worst of the storm.

“We have been briefed by Environment Canada this morning through EMBC, and it looks like the rain is going to continue… on the path it’s currently on over the next 12 to 24 hours. Kamloops is not expected to see any severe rainfall amounts in the next 24 hours.”