Flood Watch for St. Mary River Prompts Flood Safety Reminder

On the heels of warm temperatures and isolated thunderstorms in the past few days, the BC River Forecast Centre issued a Flood Watch for a brief period today for the St. Mary River.

Although the Flood Watch has ended, the RDEK says fluctuating conditions on local waterways can be expected to continue in the days and weeks ahead. “With the warm weather and the forecast calling for continued potential for thunderstorms, local waterways could continue to see unexpected surges, so we are urging all residents to stay aware and prepared as there is a potential for localized flooding and rapid changes within waterways over the coming weeks,” says RDEK Communications Manager Loree Duczek.

The St. Mary Forest Service Road (FSR) is washed out in at least two places and is currently impassable past the 47km mark. Residents should visit the Ministry of Forest Rocky Mountain District Resource Road Safety page for details on local FSR closures.

The East Kootenay Emergency Management Program and Flood Response Unit are monitoring local conditions, and RDEK parks staff will be checking on the park at St. Mary Lake. 

The RDEK has distributed a flood preparedness newsletter to all rural postal addresses in the RDEK and has preparedness information and links available on their website. “At this time of year, preparedness and safety are key.  Know the numbers to call, have a family emergency plan, plan ahead now to protect your property from flooding if you are in a low-lying area, and ensure you stay well back from waterways as sudden, unpredictable changes in water levels are possible,” adds Duczek.

Access to more resources can be found on the Personal Preparedness page on [url=http://www.rdek.bc.ca]http://www.rdek.bc.ca[/url]. To learn more about how to prepare for emergencies, build an emergency kit or create a family emergency plan, visit [url=http://www.PreparedBC.ca]http://www.PreparedBC.ca[/url].  To report wide-scale flooding, call [hidden].

Anyone who has not signed up for the regional Evacuation Notification System is urged to do so. The system notifies registrants by landline, mobile phone or text in the event their property or marked location is within an evacuation alert or order area. Registration instructions and more information are available on the Emergency Information page on [url=http://www.rdek.bc.ca]http://www.rdek.bc.ca[/url].

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