Flooding in Cache Creek has prompted more evacuation orders, and is causing significant infrastructure damage to buildings and highways.

13 homes are now under evacuation orders, while at the same time — according to Mayor John Ranta — major erosion is taking place under and along Highway 97.

“The culvert under Highway 97, it’s eroded underneath the culvert on the west side,” Ranta told RadioNL Thursday morning.  “We lost a lamp-standard…fell right over on to the highway.”

He says the shutdown of that Highway, and the TransCanada through the community, could lead to supply chain concerns.

“I stopped by the gas station, and they still had 94 octane gas, so that was good,” noted Ranta.  “But I don’t imagine they’re getting any resupply at the present time with the highways closed, unless there’s a supplier in the north.”

DriveBC has been providing updates on the highway closures.

However, given the extent of the flooding and the infrastructure damage, it’s unlikely either Highway 97 or Highway 1 through Cache Creek will be open until the weekend at the earliest.

At present, Ranta says there is still only the one home caught up early in the flooding which has been destroyed.

However, several buildings — including the local fire hall and motels along the highways — have suffered significant flood damage.

Meanwhile, the BC Government says it is working with local officials — including in Cache Creek — on flood mitigation efforts.

“The Province has deployed flood assets, such as gabions, tiger dams and sandbags to at-risk communities, including Grand Forks, Cache Creek and Okanagan Indian Band territory,” said the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness in an email to RadioNL.  “This includes 200 metres of gabions to Cache Creek and 165,000 sandbags to various communities in the Central Region, including Cache Creek.”

The Ministry also says its offering up other assistance, including personnel from the BC Wildfire Service.

Mayor John Ranta says he’s also been in personal contact with Minister Bowinn Ma, but suggests the provincial help is limited at this point.

“She’s given me her phone number to get in touch with her if I can think of something they might be able to do,” said Ranta.  “But at this point, it’s wait for the water to go down, and address challenges in a more permanent way that’s been done in the past.”