Warm, spring weather brought flooding to parts of the Cariboo Saturday, April 18.
Neighbours on Bailey Road banned together to help Kim Ramier and Chris Phillips sandbag to protect their home along a small waterway that turned into a torrent of muddy water rushing through the neighbourhood just north of Williams Lake.
Ramier, who works as an emergency room nurse at Cariboo Memorial Hospital, said the flooding was the result of past ditch work along Bailey Road and spring melt joining waters from nearby Reservoir Lake.
She said they also experienced flooding just before Christmas and feels they haven’t been provided much support by government.
“I have discovered as a home owner I am solely responsible for protecting my home,” Ramier said. “CRD doesn’t help regarding manpower.”
North of Bailey Road in the community of Wildwood, neighbours were also helping neighbours sandbag to protect a home from flooding on Westcoast Road and at Ford Place.
Marion Bremner watched her lawn disappear under a blanket of water Saturday afternoon as the daytime temperatures climbed. Fortunately Bremner’s home is situated high enough up not to be affected by the swollen Minton Creek, however, her neighbours Cheryl Michalchuk and David Pocock’s home is more vulnerable to the flooding.
Residents said it usually floods a little in the area, but nothing like the waters seen rushing across Westcoast Road Saturday. Members of the Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department were on scene to help bag and set up sandbags Saturday late afternoon, while staff from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) were also on hand to monitor the situation.
Water was also high in an area of the Likely Road near Kengin Road Saturday evening, while earlier in the day MOTI responded to flooding at Sugar Cane, south of Williams Lake.
The Cariboo Regional District activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Friday, April 17 to respond to flooding issues in the region.
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