Several homes evacuated following Kelowna landslide as flooding hits southern B.C.

Two homes in the Kelowna area are under an evacuation order following a landslide Friday as flooding washes through several parts of southern B.C.

The houses are on Lakeshore Road at the south end of Okanagan Lake. Access to eight other homes on the same road has also been cut off by the slide.

A third house at the centre of town on Ethel Street was ordered evacuated on Friday, but that order was lifted Saturday.

On Copeland Street, residents filled sandbags to try and keep the water at bay.

Environment Canada posted severe thunderstorm watches for huge swaths of the province's central and southern Interior on Friday, where floods — caused by rain — were already raging.

Those warnings have now ended. An emergency reception centre has been set up at the Salvation Army on Sutherland Avenue.

Another emergency operations centre has been set up for Thompson-Nicola regional district residents who have been told to "evacuate immediately if in imminent danger."

Widespread issues

On Saturday morning, an evacuation alert remained in effect for 90 properties in the Fintry Delta area, south of Fintry Provincial Park on Okanagan Lake.

The Central Okanagan Regional District says residents of properties accessed by Fintry Delta Road, Morden Road and Shorts Road should be ready to leave on short notice if conditions worsen.

An evacuation order is also in place for Fintry Provincial Park.

There are also warnings of imminent flooding with more rain from Mission Creek to East Kelowna and areas near Vernon B.C.

In Kamloops, Noble Creek has breached its banks near Westsyde Road and public works staff are holding back water from nearby homes with sandbags.

Kinder Morgan staff have taken precautionary measures, as their pipeline runs through this area, said Tammy Robertson with the Kamloops emergency operations centre. 

Waterways flooding the Ramage Road area and the Barnhartvale area forced city crews to install piping and work overnight distributing sandbags.

Just outside the city, Rodeo Drive in the Cherry Creek area was closed overnight by regional staff, who are working on getting information out about detours.

The Thompson-Nicola region (TNRD) emergency operations centre will be co-ordinating rescues and supplying sandbags for residents hit by various creek floods near Kamloops B.C., and other communities in the area.

Floods, pooling water

DriveBC issued numerous warnings about highway conditions for a large swath of southern B.C.

Numerous instances of pooling water or flooding are reported from as far north as Kamloops and as far south as Kelowna; and as far west as Cache Creek and as far east as Revelstoke.

DriveBC says highways 1, 5, 5A, 6, 8, 97, 97A, 97B, 97C and 97D are all experiencing flooding or pooling water as of 8:30 p.m. PT.

Mudslides also resulted several closures.

Boil water advisory

Users of the Lower Sage Mesa Water System northwest of Penticton are advised to boil water due to high turbidity.

Residents of Sage Mesa Drive, Ladera Place, Pine Hills Drive, Solana Crescent and Verano Place are advised to boil all drinking, oral hygiene and cooking water for at least one minute.

Provincial officials are urging people to be cautious and follow these tips:

• Steer clear of river and lake shorelines.
• Recognize danger signs, such as change in water colour or rapid water level rise.
• Do not drive through flood water.
• Protect your home.