Rivers Rising, Threatening B.C. Areas

Heavy rain and snow pack runoff throughout British Columbia have rivers on the rise again, threatening Interior, Okanagan and Kootenay communities.

A section of Highway 3 in the southeastern part of the province between Salmo and Creston was washed out by heavy rain over the weekend. Highway officials don’t know when the border-area road will be reopened.

Pemberton Royal Canadian Mounted Police continue to lead the search for a missing man in a forest north of Whistler where a huge landslide occurred Saturday.

Engineers said the logging-site area is stable enough to continue the ground search.

In Kelowna, the heart of the Okanagan Valley, Mission Creek has turned into a river and was at its peak Sunday, said provincial emergency program spokeswoman Pat Kilk.

Heavy rains haven’t stopped for days, more rain is in the forecast and there’s lots of snow to melt, she said.

“There are higher flows throughout the whole Okanagan system, and we’ve advised people to continue sandbagging,” Kilk said.

Crews are working to remove logs and debris from area rivers and streams, said Assistant Fire Chief Sid LeBeau.