Residents can finally head back to 17 properties on Osoyoos Lake after being evacuated for about three weeks due to rising lake levels.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameeen announced the residents can return home at around 3:30 p.m. Friday. That includes 16 properties on Willow Beach, evacuated on May 10, and one property on 95th Street, which was evacuated on May 11.
The regional district has not yet commented on the amount of damage to properties resulting from floods in the region.
At the same time, 40 property owners can breathe a sigh of relief as evacuation alerts were rescinded in the rural Osoyoos area.
That included properties on 45th Street, 85th Street, 81st Street, 87th Street and 95th street. Those properties were not evacuated, but put on evacuation alerts on May 10.
The RDOS reports that its emergency operations centre will be closed closed over the weekend.
For after-hours emergencies, call the provincial emergency reporting line: 1-800-663-3456. The RDOS EOC remains open weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.