Evacuation Alert Issued for Vanderhoof Neighbourhood

By 250 News

Vanderhoof Mayor Len Fox says an evacuation alert has been issued for 133 homes in the southeast corner of the community - Riverview Drive, River Lane, and Waterview Avenue.

Fox says the residents have been advised to gather personal items -- like documents, medicines, and clothing -- should they be forced to evacuate.

The Mayor says emergency officials’ top objective is to try and keep everyone in their homes, as the flood situation is expected to be a protracted affair - the Nechako is a controlled river with Alcan establishing its flow by releases through the Skins Lake Spillway.  And he says the concern for residents in the neighbourhood under alert is not so much the threat of flooding to their homes, but the concern that access routes in might be cut off; thereby, posing a safety risk to the residents.

Fox says officials have established places to house and feed people, should the evacuation become necessary and a registry is being set up, so that family members will be able to connect with residents forced out of their homes.

As for the situation with the river itself, Fox says little has changed from Wednesday’s prediction - the Nechako’s flow through Vanderhoof is expected to hit 775 cubic metres/second by Sunday or Monday.

Dykes and sandbags have been put in place to handle a flow of 800 cms and Fox is confident the community has made the best preparations possible.  He says the dykes are being manned 24/7 and minor breaches are dealt with right away.  "I’m confident everything is working well."

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