“We appear to be ok”: Mayor Mike Goetz on flood risks

As many parts of the province are dealing with the mess that this week’s atmospheric rivers over the southern parts of the province, the City of Merritt is also monitoring potential flood risks in the area.

On Tuesday, the B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a High Streamflow Advisory for the Coldwater River, one of five issued for the province due to excessive rain in the forecast.

Late Wednesday night, Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz told Q101 via text, that quote: “We should be okay,” and that if necessary, “our team is ready” in the event of any flooding in the city.

In November 2021, thousands of Merritt residents were evacuated from their homes when an atmospheric river caused the Coldwater River to overflow its banks, leading to the failure of the dikes and the wastewater treatment plant.

As of this morning (Thursday, Dec 11), there have been no local flooding reports in the city, and officials ask you to continue to monitor the city’s webpage, Drive BC and Q101.ca for more details.

More to come…