Fewer than 50 properties in the Chilcotin have been found to have been impacted by flooding after the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) completed damage assessments in the region.
That is down from the estimated 120 properties in the CRD that were initially believed to have been possibly impacted.
“The first number we estimated in terms of 120 was just based on our mapping of properties along the Chilcotin River and tributaries that could be impacted,” said Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) public information officer, Emily Epp.
“Now that we have a bit more of an assessment we’ve kind of narrowed it down to an estimate and granted the numbers are still approximate at this point, 47 were directly impacted by the flooding.”
Epp said of those properties that damage to residential homes is minimal and the majority of the impacts were to hay fields, irrigation channels, land, driveways, and fencing.
The CRD will be hosting a public meeting on Saturday, July 20 at the Big Creek Community Hall for impacted residents to meet with representatives and agencies to receive informational updates and resources.
“Our emergency operations center is fully shifting to recovery, and what that means is we are moving away from the response part of the emergency and now there will be fewer people working in our EOC,” Epp said.
“Our main role in recovery is connecting people to the resources and the programs available and then as well as advocating for their needs, and that can take months. We see it going into the fall for sure and it really depends on the need of the community, and then it gets assessed as we go.”