Cache Creek flows beside the village's Tumbleweed Motel Wednesday (May 3). (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds)

By James Peters

Cache Creek Flood

‘It looks higher now than it was yesterday’; Cache Creek mayor believes end of flood may be in sight

May 4, 2023 | 11:33 AM

CACHE CREEK, B.C. — Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta is maintaining some optimism, but says it appears the deluge coming from Cache Creek into the village Thursday has reached new levels.

“It’s hard to imagine an increase from where we were, but the water flowing through the fire hall and adjacent to the fire hall and then down Highway 97 and Highway 1 — it looks higher now than it was yesterday,” Ranta told CFJC Today.

Ranta was on his way from Cache Creek to Kamloops Thursday morning for Thompson-Nicola Regional District meetings. With Highways 97 and 1 under water and closed in the centre of the village, Ranta was forced to detour through 100 Mile House.

Despite the creek raging harder than ever Thursday, Ranta says the end may be in sight.

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“It’s all snowmelt and not rain that’s causing the problem presently. With the rate of snowmelt, I think we’ve got to be approaching the end of it and hopefully, we’ll get to a point where there’s no more flooding in Cache Creek,” he said.

Thirteen properties in Cache Creek remain under evacuation order, with many more under evacuation alert. The village has declared a state of local emergency.

Normally, the Cache Creek waterway flows directly beside the village fire hall, located on Quartz Road. Right now though, a torrent of water is flowing through the hall. Ranta says he’s confident the emergency responder base will be able to survive the flood.

“It’s happened in the past that we’ve had to replace the lower portion of [drywall] in the fire hall meeting room. Other than that, it’s a cement building that is one of those precast buildings that I’m sure can withstand the onslaught of water that it’s receiving right now.”

Ranta notes Cache Creek’s fire trucks are parked on dry land nearby and remain ready to respond, and volunteer firefighters from nearby Ashcroft have also indicated they can respond to emergencies in the Cache Creek area.