With a heat wave on the way, sodden B.C. prepares for second flood surge

UPDATES: B.C. Interior braces for more flooding as temperatures rise

British Columbia saw its first flooding surge of the season last week, prompting nearly two dozen states of emergency and forcing about 4,000 people from their homes.

The weekend weather was drier, but officials are warning that round two of the flood surge is likely on its way with warm weather expected to melt even more snow sending more run-off into swampedcommunities.

Environment Canada says Grand Forks, one of the hardest hit areas, can expect temperatures around 28C all week with rain hitting on Wednesday.

More than 2,700people are still under evacuation orders in the region. Search and rescue officials said the flooding in Grand Forks has already been "catastrophic."

On Friday alone, more than 30 rescues were necessaryas people became trapped in their homes or, in one case, the gushing Kettle River.

Officials with theKootenay-Boundarydistrict have warned residents to keep sandbags in place for the week, saying water levels will peak on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Three of theregion'srivers theGranby, Kettle and West Kettle have already broken70-yearwater level records by about 60 centimetres.

OsoyoosLake already swollen

Osoyoos, a semi-desert area 125 kilometres west of Grand Forks, isforecasttocrack 30 Callweek.

The town is keeping a close eye onOsoyoos Lake, where water levelsare already way up some say 30 centimetres above normal.

Muck hasfloodedlow-lying streets, homesand basements.More than two dozen evacuations were issued in a number of neighbourhoodsFriday evening, with 600 people on evacuation alert.

Resident Stephen Tyehas water pressing up against his home on all sides.

"I'm thinking if we go up another foot we've got real problems," he said over the weekend.

In Merritt, closer to Kamloops, water is rushing through rivers at "unprecedented levels" already.

"High and fast, that's completely accurate," said information officer Sean Smith. "This is uncharted territory for us."

The local seniors home has been evacuated, with flooding expected to peak Sunday or Monday.

The regional district of Okanagan-Similkameen said it's already distributed one million sandbags across the region this season.

On Sunday, it issued an evacuation alert for 112 homes alongalong the floodplain of the Similkameen River Valley, which includes the village of Keremeos.

'We're far from done with this'

B.C.Public Safety MinisterMike Farnworthtoured the area Sunday afternoon and described the damage as devastating.

He saidthat his government is committed to recovery and rebuilding.

"This is going to take a long-term commitment and we are here, and we are going to be here for the long term,"he said at a news conference in Grand Forks on Sunday.

The provincial government plans toreview options for further flood support on Monday.

Damage and safety assessments are underway andareas that are now dry will have evacuation orders rescinded as soon as it is safe to do so.

Re-entry for homeowners whose properties have been unaffected by the floodwaters are the priority.

Premier JohnHorgansaid the province could be facing a "one in a 100 years''floodseason, after his latest briefing on the situation and after speaking with the mayor of Grand Forks.

"We're far from done with this,"Horgansaid Saturday.

"We're going to have a couple of weeks of very, very difficult times along the waterways of British Columbia," said Horgan.