Flood woes continue in parts of B.C.

Latest updates:

• 23 local statesof emergency have been declared.
• Evacuation orders and alerts issued inseven regional districts and eight First Nations around the province.
• Officials say 30 rescues have happened around Grand Forks, one of the hardest-hit areas.
• More flooding expected next week as warm weather arrives.

Thousands have been affected by evacuation orders and some families have beentrapped in the rising waters as flooding continues in parts of British Columbia.

In Grand Forks, B.C. one of the hardest hit areas officials said there were more than 30 incidents where people were rescued from flooding.

"I just packed up my dad, my son and my dogs and we ran," said local resident Alanna McNabb. "The water was just incredible, how fast it came up."

McNabb said there is usually some flooding in the town each year, but she's never seen the water rise this high.

"I was in disbelief. Never in a million years would I have thought it would be that bad," she said.

Residents are banding together, she said, but people are also exhausted from sandbagging and emotions are running high.

The town's fire chief, Dale Heriot, said water levels in the river were receding on Saturday, but warm weather would likely lead to them rising again in the next few days.

Heriot urgedresidents to stay away from rivers and to keep sandbags in place.

The regional districtsaid an unknown number of people had been trapped in their homes, prompting a flyover by emergency officials.

• Grand Forksresidents work to save properties from flooding

Heriotsaid the first priority for his crews is to let residents get back to their homes as soon as possible so they can assess any damage.

Even the localfirehallwas evacuated, Heriotsaid, but crews have since returned.

Officials said the damage to Grand Forks has been"catastrophic.''

"The effects from this event will be long lasting,'' said Chris Marsh of the Regional District ofKootenayBoundary. "We're talking years and years and million of dollars.''

No injuries have been reported.

'There's nothing we can do'

In Osoyoos, a picturesque tourist hot spot about 125 kilometres west of Grand Forks,the level on OsoyoosLake has risen dramatically some say by well over 30 centimetres.

Waters have floodedlow lying streets, homesand basementsand triggereda state of local emergency.More than two dozen evacuations were issued in a number of neighbourhoodsFriday evening.

Frank Stadnyk, manager of the lakeside Poplars Motel, said he had to evacuate all of his 12 suites.

"It's been pure hell. It's been very stressful," Stadnyksaid. "But there's nothing we can do about it. We just have to roll with the punches."

Stadnyksaid he'd never experienced this level of flooding in the 17 years he's lived in the town.

Like many of the lakeside hotel and motel operators, Stadnyk has had to cancel all of his reservations for May, including over the long weekend, and he said he doesn't expect operations to be up and runningagain until mid-June.

"There's going to be a lot of cleanup," Stadnyksaid.

"It's going to take a long time for everything to get back to normal."

Warm weather is expected to contribute to flooding conditions, melting the heavy snowpacks that feed the swollen streams and rivers in the hard-hit areas.

Flooding has also been reported in Keremeos, Cawston and Okanagan Falls

• Canada's only desert town fighting back rapidly rising floodwaters

And it's not just B.C.'s Interior under flood watch.B.C.'s Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said the province is closely monitoring water levels in the Fraser Valley on B.C.'s South Coast for any potential flooding.

The Fraser River, including the area running from Prince George through Hope,is under a high streamflow advisory.

More than 2,700 people under evacuation order

More than 2,700 people were affected by the orders, with many strugglingto salvage what they could and fortifytheir properties.

The Emergency Info BC website listed evacuation orders or alerts in seven regional districts and for eight First Nations around the province on Friday, including:

• Cariboo Regional District
• Regional District of Central Kootenay
• Central Okanagan Regional District
• Okanagan Indian Band
• Upper Nicola Indian Band
• Lower Nicola Indian Band
• Regional District of Fraser-Fort George
• Regional District of Kootenay Boundary
• Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen
• Lower Similkameen Indian Band
• Thompson-Nicola Regional District

The following communities have issued flooding-related evacuation alerts or orders not currently available online:

• Nazko First Nation
• Nooaitch Indian Band
• Westbank First Nation
• XatllFirst Nation (Soda Creek First Nation)

For the latest updates check theEmergencyInfoBC flooding website.