Jon Ranta has declared a state of local emergency in Cache Creek.
The mayor of the B.C. community signed the declaration on Sunday, following the flash-flooding that crippled the town Saturday afternoon. It will remain in force for seven days, until May 30, unless cancelled by order of Ranta.
With the declaration comes a host of emergency powers, including the ability to order evacuation, acquire or use land or personal property necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency disaster, and provide for the restoration of essential facilities and the distribution of essential supplies.
During Saturday’s flooding, 126 residents were displaced. The RCMP initiated a tactical evacuation of 60 homes.
With the state of emergency, Ranta also signed an evacuation order, requiring the residents to leave sites at 1395, 1303, 1301 and 1291 Trans Canada Highway East, 1505 Stage Road and 1055 Old Cariboo Road in the Riverside Mobile Home Park.
Cache Creek also issued an evacuation alert for those areas west of the Bonaparte River and north of Todd Road, as well as 978, 986 and 1057 Old Cariboo Road. The alert does not require residents to leave their homes, instead notifying them of the potential for threat to escalate, creating unsafe conditions and requiring an evacuation order.
Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the South Thompson on Sunday, an area that includes Cache Creek. The watch warns of the possibility of isolated heavy downpours yielding 15 mm to 25 mm of rainfall within one hour, as well as hail with diameter up to 15 mm.
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