Vanderhoof, B.C. – Is the worst over when it comes to the threat of flooding in Vanderhoof?

Not quite, says Mayor Gerry Thiessen.

“Well, it’s probably a little bit too soon,” he said Monday afternoon. “Certainly we sense we are going through a leveling process right now which makes us feel a little better as a community.”

Despite preparing for the worst, Thiessen notes last week “the groundwater just came up and saturated a lot of our recreational areas, a lot of our backyards, and quite a few basements.”

He adds the next week or so will be key.

“We’re still seeing more water going into the reservoir than what’s coming out, but we don’t see any significant rain over the next five days or so,” says Thiessen. “If we can get through the next five days, everybody will feel a little more confident but it’s going to be a long, very wet time for our community.”

He says the community was told last week they could expect 40 days of flooding, which he says is a real burden on area residents.

“That’ll be a lot of people that won’t be able to use not only their backyards, walking-trails, parks, but people won’t be able to use their homes which will be flooded out.”

In the meantime, Thiessen says a public meeting has been organized for 7 tomorrow night at the Seniors Friendship Centre.

“We’ll be giving them an update, giving them the best information that we have. It will be four weeks in a row through one venue or another that the community will be able to ask questions.”