Flooding fears rise as snow melts across B.C.

Flooding has forced more people from their homes in the B.C. Interior after a creek breached its banks near Merritt.

Both the Lower Nicola Indian Band and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued evacuation orders on Saturday, but the number of properties impacted remains unclear.

On Sunday, there were further evacuations outside of Merritt,issued to people living at aLower Nicola mobile home park and fourproperties on Marshall Road.

The River Forecast Centre says melting snow could contribute to more flooding across the province over the weekend and into next week.

Speaking in Kamloops yesterday, Premier John Horgan acknowledged that the rising waters are causing problems for many across the province, saying that snow is melting faster than rivers are able to take up the water.

As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, 15 communities across B.C. had declared a local state of emergency, 19evacuation orders were in effect as well as 18evacuation alerts.