Woman missing along fast-flowing creek as 2 B.C. communities remain in state of emergency - CBC.ca

A woman has gone missing near an overflowing waterway in Kelowna, B.C., one of two Interior communities that remain under a state of emergency because of the risk of flooding.

The City of Kelowna declared a state of emergency late Tuesday as the Mission Creek topped its banks, flooding numerous roads, yards and basements.

On Wednesday, Kelowna RCMP and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) said they were searching for a woman who went missing near the creek on Tuesday.

Mounties say Chelsea Cardno, 31, was last seen going to walk her dog near the Mission Greenway alongside the creek.

COSAR said they conducted ground, water, and air searches for Cardno, and told CBC News they will resume the search once water speeds come down.

Chelsea Cardno is seen with her German shepherd J.J. She is described as standing 4'11" tall and weighing 108 lbs. She was last seen wearing a blue or grey cap, bright red puffy jacket, sweatpants and black army boots. Search and rescue teams are searching for her near the fast-moving Mission Creek. (Kelowna RCMP)

"At the time Chelsea went missing, the water level of Mission Creek was high and fast-moving," Const. Mike Della-Paolera said in a written statement. 

"While searching the area, COSAR rescued over-turned kayakers at the mouth of Mission Creek. Given the local state of emergency, the Kelowna RCMP are asking citizens to stay away from Mission Creek."

Sandra Follack, the emergency program coordinator for the Regional District of Central Okanagan, said there wasn't much rain overnight in the city.

However, she said rain forecast for Wednesday afternoon and night remained a concern.

"The water saturation in the mountains … is high," she told CBC News. 

"Any amount of rain we get right now could cause debris flows, which will back up creeks or cause some overland flooding."

Emergency crews were out Wednesday morning checking bridges, dikes and reservoirs in the city.

🚨 Residents in affected areas that may be concerned about their properties can pick up sand and sandbags at Capital News Centre, located at the corner of Gordon and Lequime roads. <a href="https://t.co/CQ8KYLXtcW">https://t.co/CQ8KYLXtcW</a>

&mdash;@cityofkelowna

"Over the next couple of days, between less rain and the snow melting, we should be fine," Follack said. "We've just got to keep an eye on the levels as they rise."

Follack said she expects the local state of emergency in the city to remain in place for another couple of days.

Parts of Elk Valley on alert

In Sparwood, within the Elk Valley, a local state of emergency remains in place, with two mobile home parks and several other properties on evacuation alert due to surging levels of the Elk River.

A flood warning issued for the river through Sparwood and Fernie has been downgraded to a high streamflow advisory. 

The B.C. River Forecast Centre says flows remain high because of the recent storm, but the river isn't expected to reach the flood stage.

Sandbagging efforts are shown in Fernie, B.C., on Tuesday as flood advisories were posted in the region. The town's mayor said residents should remain alert. (Ange Qualizza)

"We caught a break with the forecast yesterday," said Ange Qualizza, mayor of Fernie, an Elk Valley town that was proactive with sandbagging Tuesday.

"We were downgraded from 25 millimetres of expected rain, down to 10 millimetres of expected rain, and clear skies projected for today." 

However, Qualizza said there is a storm expected on Friday, which could exacerbate the fast-flowing rivers and creeks in the area.

She urged residents to stay off the trail system and watch water levels on Wednesday.

Other alerts

The river forecast centre has also downgraded other flood watches in southeastern B.C., while watches remain in place for the north and south Thompson regions, the Shuswap area and for sections of the Quesnel River east of Williams Lake.

Despite the general easing of conditions, Emergency Info B.C. says local flooding in the southern part of the province has prompted evacuation alerts in rural Grand Forks, ongoing alerts west of Tulameen and in Harrison Mills west of Hope, as well as a localized flooding alert issued by the North Okanagan village of Lumby.

A flood warning posted more than a week ago remains in effect for the Liard River and its tributaries between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake in northeastern B.C.

A flood warning is the most serious in a three-tiered alert system used by the forecast centre and means flooding is expected.

A flood watch, on the other hand, means that river levels are rising and flooding may occur. The high streamflow advisory is the lowest of the three levels issued by the River Forecast Centre.

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Woman missing along fast-flowing creek as 2 B.C. communities remain in state of emergency - CBC.ca
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