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It’s the 1-year anniversary of the flooding event that hit the community last year.
In 2017, we experienced the worst flooding the region has ever seen, and it was a hot topic in the Okanagan for months to follow.
It all began on May 4, 2017, when a massive storm rolled through, bringing with it so much rain that Mill Creek spilled its banks and flooded nearby homes and businesses.
A state of emergency was called on May 6, 2017 in Kelowna and West Kelowna after various other creeks in the Central Okanagan spilled, resulting in numerous evacuations and road closures.
It was a hot topic for a long time in the Okanagan as the community came together to get through the nightmarish flooding. As water levels creeped up more and more, residents could be seen wading through knee deep waters to pitch in wherever they could to try and prevent and clean up as much of the damage as possible.
The unfortunate situation showed how strong community spirit can be. Residents stepped up to help their neighbours, and eventually the community got through despite the extensive damage done to homes and livelihoods.
For more aerial photos, click here.
The community banded together after the local state of emergency was declared, as flooding wreaked havoc on people’s homes. If it wasn’t for the help of neighbours, some residents would have been far worse off.
Okanagan Lake levels really began to rise as the winter’s snowpack melted at the high elevation areas around the Okanagan. The runoff had a dramatic impact on the lake as we progressed through the month of May.
After being battered by wind and water, things finally eased off in June as water levels started to decline. Okanagan Lake levels dropped for the first time on June 10, 2017.
As we look back at last year's flooding and try to prepare for potential flooding this year, you can keep an eye on lake levels and keep track of areas of concern by reading our daily Okanagan Lake level report for 2018.
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