Emergency workers are busy filling sandbags to help residents prepare for more flooding over the next few days.

(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - The Emergency Operations Centre planning team and staff from across the Central Okanagan are working around the clock as they continue to prepare for increasing water levels.

Residents must be proactive and take steps to protect their properties.

Sand and sandbags are available at the following locations:

Kelowna:

Empty Sandbags

• City of Kelowna Fire Station #1 at 2255 Enterprise Way

Sand and Sandbags

• Burne Avenue, west of Ethel Street at Mill Creek
• 221 Adams Road – North Reeds Corner area (Industrial Park)
• 1870 Maple Street – Downtown area
• 1118 Brookside Road – Capri area
• Radant Road (two sites) – Mission area
• Pre-filled Sandbags, Sand and Sand Bags
• End of Bluebird Road – Mission area
• Truswell Road – Mission area
• Cook Road Boat Launch outside the Hotel Eldorado - Mission
• Rowcliffe Avenue at Richter Street – Downtown/Sutherland
• Burtch Road – Apple Bowl Parking Lot

West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation residents:

Sand and Sandbags

• 1341 Green Bay Road
• 2606 Casa Loma
• Pritchard Park at 1587 Pritchard Drive
• 4081 Hitchner Road
• Pebbles Beach Park at 2589 Whitworth Road

Lake Country:

Sand and Sandbags

• Swalwell Park at 9950 Bottom Wood Lake Road
• Deldor Rd at Mayrus Rd
• Beasley Park on Woodsdale Road

Sand

• Okanagan Centre Fire Hall (10591 Okanagan Centre Rd. East)

Peachland

Sandbags

• Peachland Fire Department at 4401 3rd Street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outside of these times and on Weekends, please call fire dispatch at 250-469-8801 to arrange a pick up time.

Sand

• At the end of Chidley Road

RDCO Electoral area residents:

Sand and Sandbags

• Ellison Fire Department – 4411 Old Vernon Road
• North Westside Fire Rescue – Short’s Creek Firehall, Westside Road (call 250-545-1195 to arrange pick up. (Fintry, Valley of the Sun, Killiney, West Shore)
• Wilson’s Landing Fire Department – 2396 Westside Road North (Trader’s Cove)
• Joe Rich Fire Rescue Main hall 11481 Highway 33
• Goudie hall 6550 Goudie Road

Pease check www.cordemergency.ca for updates on sand locations throughout the day. Sand is being constantly replenished. Residents who notice sand running out at a location can contact the Information Office at 250-469-8490 or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free).

Before doing any excavating, trenching or clearing on your property to protect it from a flood or clean up after, always call BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886 or go to bconecall.ca to get natural gas line location details. When you call, indicate it’s an emergency situation and you will be provided with further instruction.

How to fill a sandbag

Filling sandbags is normally a two-person job. One person should crouch with feet apart and arms extended, with the bottom of the empty bag on the ground, holding the bag open while another person shovels sand into the bag.

Step 1
Fill the bag halfway. Do not add more sand, as it will not help. Filling the bag halfway with sand allows the bag to be moved more easily. A properly filled sand bag should weigh between 35-40 lbs. Be sure to wear gloves, plus goggles to protect your eyes from the sand.

Step 2
Close the top of the bag. Scrunch the walls of the bag together like a candy bag. Sandbags filled one-half to two-thirds full should generally be left untied.

Step 3
Use proper lifting techniques to avoid injury and fatigue. Lift with your legs and bend at the knees to save your back.

Lay the sandbag flat and roughly parallel to the expected flow of water and debris. Make sure the closed end of the sandbag is facing in the general direction of the expected flow, and fold the open end of the sandbag diagonally away from the expected flow.

News from © iNFOnews, 2017