A mobile home park in Sicamous is working to become better prepared for emergencies.
At the April 12 Committee of the Whole meeting, Derek Sutherland, protective services team leader with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD), presented an emergency preparedness plan for the Sicamous Creek Mobile Home Park around Wiseman Creek.
Flooding and drainage concerns arose after the 2021 Two Mile Road wildfire devastated forested areas above the park.
In 2021, engineers hired by the CSRD reported a 100 per cent chance of debris flow resulting from any flooding in the area occurring in the next two years as vegetation grows back.
A plan is in place to upgrade the warning system for residents, and work is being done to allow for the area’s underbrush to regrow.
A feasibility study conducted by Urban Systems reported that the mobile homes can’t be moved to a safer location.
Sutherland said the ministry of forests allocated some of its year-end budget to initiate an early warning system in the park to let residents know when periods of intense rain are forecasted, but this doesn’t help with the potential loss of property.
Community capacity to deal with emergencies has been a focus, said Sutherland.
The Sicamous and District Seniors Centre is set up to serve as a reception area for evacuees, and special teams have been designated to organize an evacuation.
A neighbourhood emergency program is being trained and kept in communication as well.
Residents have been taught to use the Alertable emergency app, regular emails and in-person meetings have been set up, while social media has also been integrated with the district’s accounts to ensure widespread evacuation notification.
The Shuswap Emergency Program has updated its partners on the risk in this region, said Sutherland. Environment Canada has been asked to provide early weather warnings for short duration, high intensity rain, and to share snow pack data continuously.
Ambulance and RCMP detachments are aware of the potential need for extra services.
The SPCA has also been instructed to help with pet evacuation in case of emergency, as Sutherland said that’s a big barrier to people responding to evacuation orders.
British Columbia Timber Sales (BCTS) has continued salvage logging in the forested area behind the mobile home park despite the risk of flooding, said Sutherland.
The emergency program’s geotechnician said further logging in the area is dangerous, but BCTS had its own hydrologist look into the drainage issue and reported it was OK to continue.
Logging in the area will move forward, cleaning up legacy trails from historical logging.
Sutherland assured council members the program will watch the action closely to see how it affects the community.
Council members moved to send a letter to BCTS to request they stop logging for this season to allow underbrush to regrow.
READ MORE: CSRD concerned proposed timber salvage will increase risk of landslide near Sicamous
READ MORE: Landslide risk prompts evacuation alert for residents of Sicamous Creek Mobile Home Park
@willson_becca
rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our daily newsletter.