Community joins together to mitigate flooding in Parker Cove

Area residents came out in droves to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the Parker Cove community northwest of Vernon.

Whiteman’s Creek, which borders the south end of the community located off Westside Road approximately 20 km south of the intersection with Highway 97, flooded overnight Tuesday (May 2) due to increased snow melt bringing the water levels up above the river banks.

The Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) has called it a once in 200-year event.

Evacuation orders were issued by the band around 3 a.m. Tuesday for residents on Falcon Avenue in Parker Cove, which is the road that has properties backing onto the creek.

However, when Vernon Matters arrived on the scene shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday, members of the public were out in droves trying to mitigate the damage and extent of the flooding.

Sandbagging stations were set up off Falcon Avenue and Westside Road and bags were being loaded onto the beds of pickup trucks and brought to the front lines where community members were trying to redirect the flood water.

Speaking with Vernon Matters several area residents stated the community coming together to take action against the flood was something to behold.

“The response has been phenomenal. It gives me chills because there are so many people here and quite a few are not affected because they either live on the other side of the park or outside [Parker Cove], so thank you to everybody,” said Deb Gerk, who was among the dozen or so people setting up sandbag barricades along the backyards of properties that back onto the creek, including her own.

“Parker Cove always is a community effort for anything that happens in here, everyone looks after everyone, it’s wonderful,” said Dawn Taylor, who was assisting with setting up a sandbag barricade to keep the water out of properties and flowing down Falcon Avenue into Okanagan Lake.

“Lots of people from Parker Cove, West Shore Estates, Killiney, a few from Vernon, I know a lady said there was some [people] from Salmon Arm [helping]. There’s a big crew here, there’s another big crew sandbagging along Falcon trying to save some of the houses,” said Irene, who lives in Parker Cove but a few streets away from the affected area, told Vernon Matters while assisting with filling sandbags at the site off Westside Road.

Gerk added OKIB and wildfire crews were also out helping the flood mitigation efforts, and James Boshman, property manager for Parker Cove Properties Ltd. told Vernon Matters, the OKIB has hired Rider Ventures to assist with the work.

Crews were also monitoring the Whiteman’s Creek bridge on Westside Road to ensure the flooding did not impact the structure.

The plan as of noon Tuesday was to redirect the water away from residences and down to the lake either via the backyards of properties bordering the creek or via Falcon Avenue

“It’s slow because we’re being reactive but it looks like we are starting to make a little bit of headway but it still looks like there’s a couple feet of water still on the road,” Gerk said.

“At two in the morning you wouldn’t believe how wild that river — because it’s not a creek anymore — how wild it was, and it’s just gotten wilder during the day,” Irene added.

Though the public is working together to address the fast-flowing frigid water, it was not known how much more work would need to be done, if the evacuation orders would be expanded, or when area residents could expect to see the water levels recede.

It was also not known how much more debris could be flowing down the creek or kicked up by the flood, with residents noting chunks of the street surface were breaking off and flowing down to Okanagan Lake.

Gerk advised people to stay off the lake in the area, as some big logs and stumps have already flowed down from the upper elevations and more debris like that could be hazardous for boaters.

Approximately three dozen properties were under the evacuation order and had been affected by the flood as of time of publication, though an exact figure has not been provided. It was also not known how many of the properties had been severely impacted by water and would require remediation or construction.

As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the OKIB stated work was ongoing to monitor the freshet flooding and its impact to infrastructure and residences.

“The watersheds continue to be monitored via helicopter by emergency management and climate resilience forestry personnel to gain greater situational awareness,” stated the OKIB in a release.

“OKIB will continue its 24-hour monitoring of creeks and effected areas on reserve and residents should be prepared to evacuate as this is a fast evolving event.”

The OKIB opened an Emergency Support Services operation at the New Horizons building on Bonneau Road at approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday.

RELATED NEWS: Some residents staying despite evacuation order for Parker Cove flooding