The City of Armstrong is encouraging residents to be prepared for possible flooding during the spring freshet season.
It’s typical for the North Okanagan to start seeing spring freshet at this time of the year, says Armstrong emergency program coordinator Warren Smith.
“Spring freshet is the thaw of snow and ice which contributes to increased water levels in Meighan and Deep Creeks,” Smith said Thursday.
Throughout the freshet season the city monitors weather and snowpack and conducts creek checks by monitoring water levels and flows as well as observing areas that typically see minor flooding.
The city is encouraging property owners to take appropriate actions during the spring freshet as owners are responsible for their own flood mitigation efforts.
That includes, but is not limited to:
• Sandbagging
• Removing items that may cause obstructions to stream flow or block culverts
• Subscribing to flood insurance coverage
• Creating an emergency kit
“The City of Armstrong is committed to protecting the city, residents and businesses as they may be impacted by potential flooding,” Smith said.
Should they need it, residents have access to a free sandbagging station that is currently set up at the Public Works Yard at the corner of Patterson Avenue and Becker Street. People are asked to keep away from creeks and creek banks during high stream flows.
For more information on flooding and the city’s emergency management program, visit http://www.cityofarmstrong.bc.ca/emergency-management/.
Residents can also sign up for Alertable to receive emergency notifications including text, email, phone, website, mobile app, social media, home smart speaker and more.
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