'You can't describe it everything's gone': Merritt residents return home to catastrophic damage

Michelle and James Hintz trudge through mud-covered floors and debris inside what's left of their Merritt, B.C., house to assess the damage after flood waters inundated their home.

"You can't describe it," Michelle said, choking back tears.

"You see it in pictures. You see it on the news. You see it on TV and it's nothing until you can walk in and feel it, and know that everything you've worked hard to accumulate is gone."

Michelle and James were among the 7,000 Merritt residents ordered to evacuate last month after extreme rain caused the Coldwater River to breach its banks, overwhelming the city and its wastewater system.

"I was passed out on the couch," Michelle remembered. "I hear ding-dongand then knock-knock. [James] comes flying out of here, gets to the door before I even get my eyes open, and it was the fire department, telling us the Coldwater River was breaching the banks, get out."

They grabbed what they could and within half an hourthe couple left their home.

Nearly three weeks later, the city rescinded all evacuation orders while also implementinga new order for 366 properties that are worst affected allowing some residents to return home, including the Hintzes.

"Everything's gone," Michelle said. "It's sitting in water for 18 days and now it's all full of mould. So anything that we could have saved,it's too late."

Daunted by the cleanup and what's to come in the months ahead, James said, "there is noChristmas for us this year."

"How does anybody celebrate Christmas after something like this, when you don't have a place to celebrate it? You can't," he said.

Bill Nash has also been permitted to return to his home.While his house escaped the worst of the flooding, his driveway and street were washed away,leaving behind a new river andmaking it difficult and dangerous to access his property.

"I got to crawl down the rocks here, slipping and sliding, andthrough the water, which is at least not very high now boots are good enough, you know? And then I got to jump up that bank there and get through all that crap on the ground there," Nash said.

"I'm used to working in the bush and I can go over logs faster than anybody. But the wife, she's got little legs. She's strong, but it'shard for her to just leap over ...It is a little tricky."

Nash's home also doesn't have working electricity or sewage. A portable outhouse sits where his street used to be and he has to make thejourney across the river bank every time to get there.

Brewery boilsup safe water

The entire city is still under a boil water advisory, as contamination from floodwaters remains a concern.

To help residentsaccess safe water,Kyle Hall, owner of the Empty Keg Brew House, has re-purposed his large brewing kettles to boil water for the community.

"It was kind of a light bulb moment for us," Hall said.

"It was like, well, hang on a second, we've got 700-litre kettles sitting here, with 400-watt heaters in it. Let's make some boiled water and offer it free to the residents."

The breweryhas been using social media to spread the word and Hall says the response has been huge.

He says anything they can do to lighten the load for those devastated by the floodingis worth doing.

"We're just a very small cog in the wheel. There's so many other things that are happening in the city that are important. But if we can do a little bit, we'll do it," he said.

The Hintzes say what Merritt residents really need is more housing, as rental properties are already full not only with those affected by the flooding, but also by people displaced since summer due to wildfires, including the onethat destroyed Lytton.

"We need somewhere to go," Michellesaid.

"There's lots of support for food and clothing and all that kind of stuff. That's incredible.But it's just, no one has anywhere to live."

On Monday, during a public news briefing, B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said $8.6 million in funding support has been dispersed to evacueesthrough the Red Cross so far. The provincial and federal governments are matching each dollar donated for the cause.

Flood evacuee support will shift from being managed by municipal governments to being run by the charitable organization on Dec. 15.

The minister said he plans to tour Merritt, B.C., Tuesday.