Fernie crews are working to prevent further localized flooding as heavy rainfall continues in the Elk Valley.
City officials said the workers are clearing slush from local roads and clearing drains around the community.
“This is challenging work, with slush moving around with the flowing water and re-blocking drains in some areas,” said city staff.
According to officials, West Fernie is experiencing more flooding than other parts of the community.
“We have our teams actively working on clearing material and opening blocked drains,” said city officials. “We’ve got all hands on deck and have called out additional staff to help with this work. Crews are fully assigned and responding in order of priority.”
The Elk Valley’s heavy rainfall has caused a significant rise in water levels in Coal Creek, but they remain below the point that would trigger Fernie’s Flood Response Plan.
“If you are experiencing property damage from flooding, you should contact your insurer, who can start a claim,” said city officials. “The City is not able to start claims for property owners, but we are prepared to work directly with insurers.”
Fernie’s self-fill sandbag station remains available at the Operations Yard on Railway Avenue.
You can help out city crews by checking on your neighbours and clearing nearby drains of slush or debris if you can do so safely.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications through the Regional District of East Kootenay’s Voyent public alerting system.
You can find a link to sign up below.
More: Voyent Alert sign-up
