Between 2,000 and 2,500 evacuees from Merritt went to Kamloops when an evacuation order came into place.

Kamloops CAO David Trawin says the emergency social service centre at McArthur Island made arrangements for 966 of those evacuees.

He says most were able to get hotel rooms in Kamloops or Sun Peaks.

“Once we were full, there were those who would drive to Salmon Arm who were given $50-dollar gas cards in order to make it there. We did have to have some people stay who didn’t have vehicles,” Trawin said.

“And once the Salmon Arm and Kelowna ESS shut down (Monday) night, there were approximately 120 people who slept on cots.”

Trawin says those people who slept on cots were bussed to Kelowna yesterday where there was room for them.

Any people still in Merritt who are choosing to evacuate today are being told to go to Kelowna, Salmon Arm or Penticton if they will be looking for accommodation.

While some residents in Merritt have chosen to stay behind, others are now forced to.

Emergency information officer Greg Lowis says the neighbourhood of Collettville is currently cut off by road access to the rest of town.

There are three bridges connecting the neighbourhood to the city.

“Unfortunately, (Monday) night, one of those three bridges collapsed. Since we cannot assess the structural integrity of the remaining two bridges until the water levels recede, anyone who is currently in Collettville has to stay in Collettville. And we have no way to reach them. They are completely cut off,” Lowis says.

“There’s a few hundred people who live in Collettville. It was one of the first places that we began to evacuate, and issued an evacuation order. Everyone should have left at that time, unfortunately we know that some people did not. And so they remain in their properties at this time.”

In an update Tuesday afternoon, the City of Merritt says using bridges right now poses a “fatal risk” for residents, saying not even first responders are using any bridges through town at this point.

The evacuation order for the city of about 7,000 people remains in place until floodwaters recede, infrastructure can be assessed and likely until the sewage system can be restored.