Residents of Princeton, British Columbia are uniting again to protect their homes. atmospheric river leading to rising water levels and new concerns about flooding in the region.
Everyone was on deck at Tim Gallason's property Friday as he stacked sandbags along the low point of his property, a lesson he said he learned the hard way after the devastating floods of 2021.
“I’ll have friends and family come over and we’re going to build a wall,” Gallason said. “Last time I thought this wouldn’t happen, couldn’t happen to me, but I realized I was wrong.
“When it starts to approach, do everything you can to be prepared.”
The city of Princeton remains on alert as water levels continue to rise in the Tulameen and Similkameen rivers. Mayor Spencer Coyne says Similkameen is of particular concern.
“We expect both rivers to rise again,” he said. “We're more concerned about the Similkameen side rather than the Tulameen side, but because of the volume of water in both rivers, it gives us some unknowns.”
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Robbie Trusler sandbagged his home after water began pooling around it on Thursday. He says a short break in the rain would be welcome, but far from reassuring.
“I'm taking another 40 sandbags to try to block the area that I couldn't stop yesterday. It was quite difficult to stop it because to get to this area I had to cross another river that was about two feet deep.”
Hundreds of properties in the region remain on evacuation alert, while others are already on standby. Coyne says the coming days will be critical, with snow expected in the mountains and then more rain.
The amount of precipitation that falls and the rate at which it melts will determine the severity of potential flooding.
For many in Princeton, the current weather system serves as an unwelcome reminder of 2021, when floodwaters inundated much of the community.
Gallason says he wasn't prepared then, but is determined not to be caught off guard again.
“We realized there was a low spot in front of our site and we should have sandbagged it earlier,” he said. “We didn’t do that, and the water ended up coming through our yard instead of through our house.”
Emergency officials are urging residents to stay away from swollen rivers and streams and have a bag ready in case conditions worsen.
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