The sudden warmer weather has increased the snow melt in higher elevations of the valley.
As well, severe winds have been forecasted for Tuesday, up to 40 to 60 kilometres per hour.
For more on the severe weather warning, read here.
This means flood protection continues to be a necessary reality for many residents and property owners in the Okanagan.
Because of increased snow melt occurring over the next few weeks and warmer temperatures, Emergency Management BC asks residents to take precautions in order to ensure personal safety.
For more on our flood coverage, check here.
Here are some of the tips provided by Emergency Management BC.
*Provide a household plan
Residents should put together emergency kits, talk with neighbours and learn about the local government's emergency response plan.
For more information on how to prepare, visit the government BC website.
*Elevate or store furniture away from low-lying areas
Clean gutters, eavestroughs and perimeter drains.
*Electrical wiring
Electrical wiring in buildings that has been partially or fully covered by flood water should be checked by a qualified electrical inspector before using again.
*Boil water
Boil water before drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing food, mixing baby formula and making ice.
*Stay away from floodwaters and shorelines
Currently, many shorelines are unstable and more prone to sudden collapse.
Walking through flood waters is dangerous. According to Emergency Management BC, walking in just over 15 centimetres (six inches) of fast-moving water can knock over an adult.
The current condition of the water can contain various forms of contamination, including sewage, fuels or pesticides.
If you must walk through water to evacuate, use a stick to check the firmness of the ground.
*Motorists should not drive through flooded or closed roads
Sixty-one centimetres (two feet) of fast moving water can carry away most vehicles.
Be prepared for alternate routes.
If you find yourself on a flooded or closed road, turn around. Do not continue.
If your vehicle stalls in flooded water, be prepared to abandon it.
Wait for water to recede before retrieving vehicles.
Have an emergency kit in your vehicle with extra shoes, rain jacket and important medications.
For latest road conditions, visit Drive BC.
*Pet prepared
Be prepared to evacuate your pet.
Make a list of family and friend members that could take your pet.
Check with local hotels.
Prepare a pet grab-and-go bag including leashes, carriers, food, dishes, etc.
Have pet's medications.
*Sandbag your property
Sandbagging is one of the most effective ways to prevent or reduce flood water damage.
Sandbagging should be a two-person job. It takes about one hour to fill and place 100 sandbags, which will create a 30.5-centimetre by six-metre wall. (one foot by 20 foot).
Make sure your have enough sand, bags, and shovels well in advance in order to be prepared.
Look to your local government for more sandbags.
*Proper sandbagging
Fill materials:
* Sand is by far the easiest material for filling and shaping sandbags. Sand becomes heavier when saturated from rain or moisture.
* In emergencies, other materials such as silt, clay, gravel or a mixture of these may be used to fill bags, but none works as well as sand.
* When vehicle access is cut off to the flood site, and you have no other choice, use the back side of the levee or an adjacent field to find whatever material is available to fill sandbags.
Proper filling procedure:
* Always use gloves, and avoid touching your eyes and mouth.
* Filling sandbags is normally a two- to three-person task.
* One member while crouching with feet apart and arms extended places the bottom of the empty bag on the ground.
* The opening of the bag is folded outward about 2.54 centimetres to 3.81 centimetres (one inch to 1.5 inches) to form a collar and held open to allow the second team member to fill with material - approximately one-half or two-thirds full, and then fold them over.
* Do not hurry, Haste can result in undue spillage and additional work.
* The third team member stockpiles or stacks the open sacks.
Proper placement:
* Remove any debris from the areas where bags are to be placed.
* Place the bags lengthwise and parallel to the direction of flow.
* Fill the low spots first before placing bags the full length of the area to be raised.
* Start at approximately 30.5 centimetres (one foot) landward from the river or levee's edge.
* Fold the open end of the bag under the filled portion. The folded end of bag should face upstream.
* Place succeeding bags with the bottom of the bag tightly and partially overlapping the previous bag.
* Offset adjacent rows or layers by one-half bag length to avoid continuous joints.
For more information on flood preparedness, visit the following sites:
Flooding factsheet: http://ow.ly/2Pa030btt74
Flood prevention tips: http://www.gov.bc.ca/
Flood Information for Homeowners: http://ow.ly/t4lg30bttjr
Disinfecting water: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/
Home clean-up hazards: http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/
Sandbagging tips (three languages) and video: http://ow.ly/ugNg30bxql4
Flooding and food safety: http://ow.ly/V2T230bxqq9
Sewage systems & flooding: http://ow.ly/iBDY30bxquM
River Forecast Centre: http://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/
For information on local road closures: https://www.tranbc.ca/
Environment Canada Public Weather Alerts for British Columbia: http://ow.ly/IDvd30btqo2
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