UPDATE: 5:25 p.m A year after flooding swept through Princeton and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes, the city still has a long way to go before it fully recovers. Mayor Spencer Coyne said Tuesday that while things may look better, there are many hidden difficulties. Drinking water is still unavailable for many residents, pending permission to begin infrastructure construction. The apartment buildings destroyed by the floods remain in ruins, along with the houses. Even those who have managed to complete most of the repairs and return to their homes are dealing with post-traumatic stress from that horrific day. “It’s a really fragile time right now which is the anniversary of last year’s flood. So, you know, there’s a lot of people right now who are struggling, I don’t want to say struggling, but they’re struggling,” Coyne said. “Princeton is still struggling emotionally and physically,” resident Rhonda Warner said. “It has changed a lot of people. Some people who used to walk down the street and give a big, happy “Hello” are now staring at the ground. Because they didn’t have help, or whatever their circumstances were.” Warner’s home was completely destroyed a year ago. “Work was hell. I can’t do much but clean as much as I can. And I’m so sick and tired of the mud it’s not even funny. Because everything has this mud in it. And then everything that was saved ended up with drywall dust and construction debris.” Her home, which is over 100 years old, has now been upgraded with repairs to be better prepared in case of another flood, something she points out amid all the hardships. Resident Ron Carlson had his basement completely filled with water, the heater and electrical panel damaged and water rising a foot on the main floor during the floods. All his family’s possessions were destroyed. “We are still trying to fully recover. But I mean, you do what you can and it’s been a long battle, but at least we’re back home,” he said. The traumatic night when freezing water flooded homes still lingers in residents’ minds and adds to their worries about the future. “It was quite an experience and then we had a flashback the other day, the wife posted a picture of the water around there that day. So it brings back some really bad memories,” Carlson said. “It’s scary. I don’t have any more flooding in me. I don’t. It was the closest I’ve come to being crazy I think in my entire life,” Warner said. Mayor Coyne said it will be a long time before the community regains a sense of normalcy. “When you say atmospheric river, there are people who go into panic mode, because they think they’re going to lose everything again. So if there’s a message for the wider world out there, it’s to remember that there are people on the other side of this and those people are still trying to deal with what happened.” A sticking point for the Princeton mayor has been the lack of help from the federal government, despite pleas from local lawmakers. “The provincial government has really stepped up and been there almost every time I’ve asked for help,” he said. “I’m still frustrated with the federal government. We still haven’t seen anyone from the federal government in our community. There was no minister, no prime minister. None of these guys have come to town. Was close. “They’ve been to Merritt. They’ve been to Summerland. They’ve been to other places, but they haven’t come to Princeton. My residents feel abandoned.” Moving forward, the city’s infrastructure still needs major upgrades. “Probably 60-plus percent of our community still doesn’t have potable water. And if it’s because of bureaucracy. That’s a problem, right? The province gave us the money to fix the problem. Now it’s another arm of the province that says, ‘You have to do this, this and this,’” Coyne said. “My staff keeps telling me, ‘OK, we’ll get there.’ But I am disappointed and the residents are disappointed. And we have to find a way to speed up some of these things, as long as they’re done right.” This past year has shown Coyne the gaps in government and emergency services, especially in caring for displaced people, showing when the Red Cross took over local ESS operations. “This was a big bone of contention for our team. We don’t feel that information was adequately shared with us when the transition happened,” he added. In a statement to Castanet, the Canadian Red Cross said it continues to provide individualized recovery support to 69 households from the town of Princeton affected by the flooding and extreme weather. “The Red Cross works directly with people to discuss their unique needs and help them navigate their recovery journey and access available supports, such as financial assistance to repair and rebuild homes, as well as temporary accommodation and basic needs while move into longer-term housing.” They also help people by providing mental health and wellness support, as well as referrals to other counseling services and programs and financial assistance to replace uninsured contents and cleaning kits. “As part of our long-term commitment to support community recovery, the Red Cross launched the Red Cross Small Business and Nonprofit Support Program in July 2022 to assist eligible small business owners and non-profit organizations directly affected by the flooding 2021 BC with financial support of $5,000. The Princeton Red Cross Resilience Center located at 224 Bridge Street in Princeton remains open to support individuals and families affected by last year’s flooding. Those affected by the floods and extreme weather of 2021 BC. and would like to inquire about any of these supports, they are encouraged to contact the Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582 Monday through Friday between 8:30 A.M. 4:30 p.m. PST to request an appointment with a case manager. Coyne hopes the provincial government will sit down with city representatives to look at what worked and what didn’t. Carlson, standing next to the home he fought so hard to recover from the water, feels the same way. “Hopefully everyone who needs to hear is listening so we can solve some of the problems for the future.” ORIGINAL: 4 A.M Tuesday, November 15, 2022 is a somber anniversary for Princeton and the surrounding communities of the Similkameen Valley. On this night in 2021, much of the city and surrounding communities found themselves inundated by floodwaters. It was part of an ongoing unprecedented weather phenomenon, an atmospheric river, that had already swept the Merritt, and would over the course of several days destroy portions of the Coquihalla and other interior highways, flood the Sumas Prairie, and cut off the Lower Solid Road. On the evening of November 14 last year, local authorities in Similkameen noticed the rapidly swelling Similkameen and Tulamin rivers and began issuing warnings and evacuation orders. Overnight, heavy rainfall and steadily rising waters meant that by dawn on November 15, much of Princeton was flooded. Power went out early this morning in the town of Princeton. The city’s emergency management department advised residents around 2 a.m. to start storing water. A large embankment broke. Roads washed away, bridges damaged. Small communities along the region’s local rivers were evacuated. And still the rain was falling and the waterways were raging. “I’ve been here my whole life. We’ve never had a flood like this before. I talked to a gentleman today, I’ve been here 65 years, he said he’s never seen anything like this,” said Princeton Mayor Spencer Coyne. day. Now, a year later, the ground is dry, but some locals felt it was a constant, ongoing fight for recovery funding from higher levels of government after the disaster. Meanwhile, many in the city spent the coldest winter months staring at the wreckage, some still without power. Congressman Dan Albas called the Similkameen “The Forgotten Valley” in February 2022, calling for faster federal aid. Mayor Coyne also strongly called for provincial and federal assistance. It took until April 2022 for Princeton to receive approval for $11.9 million in federal funds for desperately needed infrastructure repairs. Temporary housing for seniors displaced by the floods came in September. Mayor Spencer Coyne recently ran for re-election, citing infrastructure repair as the city’s number one ongoing concern, with affordable housing, especially after flood displacement, a close second. Castanet reporter Casey Richardson is en route to Princeton this morning to be on the ground a year later, talk to citizens and politicians about what’s been done and see what’s still in store for the recovering area. More to come. Photo: Contributed Princeton at the height of the flood on November 15, 2021.
