Volunteers of all ages spent hours sandbagging early this week in hopes their efforts will help protect homes in Olalla on 1st Street and 3rd Street.
About 50 people from paramedics to volunteer firefighters to young people who are receiving treatment at The Crossing answered the call to help over the last two days.
Hanna Skytte from Keremeos saw reports that homes were at risk in Olalla and helped organize volunteers Tuesday.
鈥淚 heard they needed help and so I made a few phone calls and put it out on social media that we were looking for people to help fill sandbags. It鈥檚 been great. The paramedics came out and volunteered their time, the kids from The Crossing are here鈥� It鈥檚 great that people can come together and help their neighbours. We鈥檙e from Keremeos but we鈥檙e all neighbours here.鈥�
About 20 people showed up the first day to sandbag around three homes on 1st Street that were not already completely surrounded by water.
Volunteers filled thousands of bags with four truck loads of sand.
Rick Wood one of the manufactured homeowners was overwhelmed by the support.
鈥淚 really appreciate the help,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have done this without the help.鈥�
Wood had to leave the home as power was turned off Tuesday evening.
The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen gave an evacuation order for five homes on 1st Street and one on 2nd Street late Tuesday.
鈥淩ising water has affected septic tanks, electricity and roads to homes prompting the formal evacuation of the affected homes,鈥� the release about the evacuations stated.
Residents are eligible for temporary emergency housing through the province.
Wood said he knew when he bought the manufactured home, which is part of a 55 plus manufactured home park, that it was on a flood plain. He鈥檚 lived in the home for just four years and said that he鈥檚 never seen water that high before.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a surprise (the water),鈥� he said. 鈥� It鈥檚 just we don鈥檛 know when it might stop.鈥�
Over night Tuesday the water鈥檚 edge rose at least 15 feet and the sandbags worked to hold off water so it wasn鈥檛 up against the structures.
On Wednesday more volunteers showed up in Olalla this time to help a homeowner on 3rd Street.
The water, which is pooling in the area, is creating a large lake that locals refer to as Olalla Lake.
Dave Campbell owns the home on 3rd Street where volunteers were sandbagging Wednesday.
鈥淚 want to express my gratitude to the community and all the volunteers that came out to help,鈥� he said.
Campbell implored elected officials to do something to ensure that flooding did not happen in the future.
鈥淭his situation shouldn鈥檛 happen next year. The government should be mitigating this. They know there is a problem and money shouldn鈥檛 be an issue in fixing it when they waste so much money on other things,鈥� he said.
Volunteers also helped sandbag on Liddicoat Road Wednesday afternoon.
Warm weather melting the larger than normal snow pack continues to cause problems in creeks and rivers. Rain is expected throughout the week and residents are reminded to stay away from the sides of creeks and rivers.
If you know of any flooding going on in the Lower Similkameen please message the Keremeos Review Facebook page.
