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Video: South Okanagan residents battle flooding

Rural Oliver residents band together as flooding risk grows
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Work is being down to bolster shielding at Sportsmens Bowl Road to prevent floodwater from spilling on to Highway 97 in Oliver.

Sixteen properties are on evacuation alert as of Tuesday evening and Sportsmens Bowl Road, located just north of the Town of Oliver’s boundary, has been closed off to traffic

Related: 16 homes on evacuation alert in rural Oliver flooding

Gloria Luypen said friends and community members have been supporting them by helping make sandbags.

Luypen said they are not receiving support from any level of government, besides the sandbags and sand from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

Related: Time to prepare for flooding is now

The RDOS has provided locations for sand and sand bags for property owners across the South Okanagan and Similkameen. These are for property owners to set up preventative defenses from water moving onto their property. Property owners should monitor their basements, move all valuables off the floor and prepare for higher water levels as upland snow continues to melt.

The RDOS has prepared information on their website for how to manage spring flooding. It can be found at www.rdos.bc.ca.

Here is a list where sand and sandbags are available:

Osoyoos, rural Osoyoos (Area β€˜A’)

Town of Osoyoos: Opposite the Dairy Queen on Main St. in the vacant lot.

Oliver, rural Oliver (Area β€˜C’)

Willowbrook: Willowbrook Fire Hall, 3395 Willowbrook Rd Willowbrook: Corner of Myers Rd and Johnson Cr. Sportsman Bowl: 124 Sportsman Bowl Rd

Sportsman Bowl: 7841 Hwy 97

Park Rill Rd: 7349 Knight Rd

Island Way: 7165 Island Way Rd

Oliver: Oliver Fire Hall, 369 Similkameen Ave

Okanagan Falls, Kaleden, Twin Lakes (Area β€˜D’)

Okanagan Falls: Keogan Park across from 1512 Cedar Street Twin Lakes: Taggart Crescent and Highway 3A

Naramata (Area β€˜E’)

Naramata: Sand and sand bags available at Naramata Fire Hall, 1095 Lower Debeck Rd.

Keremeos, Cawston, Olalla (south Similkameen)

Keremeos: Hwy 3A and 1st Avenue

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Dustin Godfrey | Reporter
@dustinrgodfrey
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