Compensation for flooding??

[Fancy]

As Okanagan Lake rises toward levels not seen in nearly 70 years, fingers are starting to point.

They're pointing at the man who controls the dam at the Penticton River Channel.

People are looking at real-time hydrometric data, which shows the outflow of water from Okanagan Lake didn't increase appreciably until near the end of April, about a week before flood waters began engulfing low-lying areas around the Okanagan.

"I've asked myself that several times," said Shaun Reimer, head of public safety and protection for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and the man at the controls.

"But, why would I have made a different decision? There's nothing that would challenge me that I think I would have made a different decision. With the same information available to me, I would have made the same decisions."

Reimer said he was looking at low snowpacks, and a potential for drought in February and March.

"There was nothing to suggest it was going to start raining in March, and keep raining."

Reimer said there were no indicators along the way to suggest we would be dealing with the type of event that now faces many in the Okanagan.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#198507

[Hassel99]

I guess what I'm not understanding is WHY building permits would be allowed to be issued in areas that are in the flood plain.

If the city planners KNOW where the flood plains are, why are they allowed to issue building permits in those areas? Does this not make them just a wee bit accountable too? But then again, I don't know how the wheels of building permits roll. Do they just approve the physical structure of a place or take into consideration WHERE the structure will be built ?

I guess I'm playing devil's advocate but .... I keep hearing "well they KNEW they were building in a flood plain" but I keep thinking "well, why were they allowed to build there"?

Maybe someone more educated with the rules can answer this ?

Flood planes and flood maps are not absolutes. they evolve and change. We have only been keeping good records for 100 years or so out of millions.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/a ... -1.1385449

After 2013 Alberta had to update all their maps.

Mother nature is not predictable no matter how hard we try, all we can do is our best to map and guestimate with the info we have.

[swamp1967]

Floodplain maps for Mission Creek are from 1984 and contain many inaccuracies: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/data_searches/fpm/reports/keyplans-html/mission-creek.html. For example, dykes are shown where non exist. Elevations are wrong as gravel deposits have made the creek shallower. The creek has been widened below the Casorso bridge and that is also not reflected. So if these are the maps that people are using to make decisions, they are setting themselves for additional problems.

[JayPeeWhy]

"well they KNEW they were building in a flood plain" but I keep thinking "well, why were they allowed to build there"?

There is nothing wrong with houses being built on a flood plain. They just have to deal with the consequences when it floods. My guess is that the people think "I'll buy it anyway" and there is no real reason to stop them, it's their money buying the property and their money repairing it.

[Graham Adder]

There is nothing wrong with houses being built on a flood plain. They just have to deal with the consequences when it floods. My guess is that the people think "I'll buy it anyway" and there is no real reason to stop them, it's their money buying the property and their money repairing it.

There is plenty wrong with building a house on a flood plain.
"They" deal with the consequences by crying foul and holding out a hand for aid.
Those who "buy anyway" don't need to be stopped, but when their home or structures are washed away, they should take time to absorb the lesson.
It's their money buying and repairing to an extent.
It's OUR money that is buying the sand, bags, bladder dams, and paying the red shirts to be here doing what the land owners should have been doing the day they moved onto that property.
Don't be fooled. This is going to cost all of us a lot in taxes.

[johndeereboy1950]

This Flood Was MAN Made as the Water Level IS controlled AT O.K. Falls. This Not a Natural FLOOD, When The Water Level Is Held Back On Purpose With The Level Of A Human Made Controlled Dam It Is Not Natural, I Could Live With The Flood If It Was Natural Cause, " CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IS NECESSARY " By ALL People Effected By The Un Necessary Water Level Rise, The Water Level is now Slowed down Because of The Dam, I was to Oroville Wa. Just Across the Border Last Week & the Americans Say The Flooding Has Subsided In The Same River That Drains Our Lakes SO The Dam has bin Raised to slowed Down or Decrease in Water Output. The" GOVT PEOPLE " That Control This Situation HAS TO BE TAKEN TO TASK

[gman313]

This Flood Was MAN Made as the Water Level IS controlled AT O.K. Falls. This Not a Natural FLOOD, When The Water Level Is Held Back On Purpose With The Level Of A Human Made Controlled Dam It Is Not Natural, I Could Live With The Flood If It Was Natural Cause, " CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IS NECESSARY " By ALL People Effected By The Un Necessary Water Level Rise, The Water Level is now Slowed down Because of The Dam, I was to Oroville Wa. Just Across the Border Last Week & the Americans Say The Flooding Has Subsided In The Same River That Drains Our Lakes SO The Dam has bin Raised to slowed Down or Decrease in Water Output. The" GOVT PEOPLE " That Control This Situation HAS TO BE TAKEN TO TASK

STOP YELLING

and guess what, the reservoir puts out more water now than it did when it was 'natural'

[vegas1500]

This Flood Was MAN Made as the Water Level IS controlled AT O.K. Falls. This Not a Natural FLOOD, When The Water Level Is Held Back On Purpose With The Level Of A Human Made Controlled Dam It Is Not Natural, I Could Live With The Flood If It Was Natural Cause, " CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IS NECESSARY " By ALL People Effected By The Un Necessary Water Level Rise, The Water Level is now Slowed down Because of The Dam, I was to Oroville Wa. Just Across the Border Last Week & the Americans Say The Flooding Has Subsided In The Same River That Drains Our Lakes SO The Dam has bin Raised to slowed Down or Decrease in Water Output. The" GOVT PEOPLE " That Control This Situation HAS TO BE TAKEN TO TASK

Let me guess, you were affected....