229 properties around Fairmont Creek and Cold Spring Creek remain on Evacuation ALERT following the weekend’s intense rainstorm.
“The good news is that the forecasted thunderstorms did not materialize, and although we did have additional rain yesterday, there are no noticeable changes in the upper debris basins,” said Loree Duczek, Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Information Officer. “Having said that, the Evacuation Alert will remain in place until we are able to remove the debris from the basins and restore capacity within the system.”
The RDEK said it is working with geotechnical experts to determine when the basins can be safely accessed with equipment and how much debris needs to be removed for the Alert to be lifted.
The RDEK will work with regulatory agencies to get the debris cleared as quickly and safely as possible once geotechnical recommendations are submitted.
Residents in the Evacuation ALERT area are asked to remain aware, and be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice should conditions worsen.
The RDEK also has its regional Evacuation Notification System (ENS) available to provide updates.
“I cannot stress enough how important this tool is in our toolbox. Emergencies can happen at any time and this notification system will alert people immediately when every second counts,” said Duczek. “We have 229 properties in the Fairmont Evacuation Alert area – and as of Tuesday night, only 60 people had signed up for the notification service. Those people received the notification in under one minute. The door-to-door notification to those 229 properties took our hardworking members from the RCMP, fire department and Search and Rescue six hours to complete. No matter where you live in the East Kootenay please sign up for the notification system today.”
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