First Merritt evacuees return home to 'a city that's changed'

About 1,500 residents of Merritt, B.C., were allowed to return to their homes Tuesday, a week after the entire city of 7,000 was forced to evacuate after the Coldwater River spilled its banks andcaused the complete failure of the municipality's wastewater system.

It was the first in the city's three-step plan allowing people to return home, announced byMayor Linda Brown on Monday.

"What you are coming home to is a city that's changed," Brown said in avideo statement.

Returning residents have been asked to limit water usage as much as possibleand brace themselves for substantial changes.Sewage treatment has been restored to parts of the city and some gas stations and grocery stores are now open.Certain properties remainon evacuation alert and under a boil-water advisory.

Joe and Renee Green, along with theirdaughter Montana, were among those heading home Tuesday. The family had been able to live in their RV for the duration of the evacuation.

They noted that many others like some who were sent to Kamloops or Kelowna were not so lucky.

WATCH | B.C. residents get firsthand look at flood damage:

B.C. flood victims assess damage, dread more rainfall

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As more flood damage is assessed in B.C., residents and officials are dreading the possibility that rain in the forecast that could make the existing problems worse.

"A lot of people were sleeping in their cars because they couldn't get hotel rooms," said Montana.

"I feel kind of spoiled that we had this RV," said Joe, adding that he felt "kind of guilty, all warm and cozy" while others slept in their cars.

Waiting to go home

That's not the same situation forCherylle Douglas.

Douglas hadbeencooped up in a camper with five adults, 10 dogs and four pet birds for eight days when she spoke to CBCNews on Monday.Douglas said the trailer park she has lived in for 15 years was engulfed by the Coldwater River.

"It's hell, it's real hell," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

She has been told she can return to her home after repairs are done, but she doesn't know exactly when that will be.

"Right now, what I need is not to be forgotten we need to know when we're going home," she said.

Douglas is on disability assistance and likely lost her mobilityscooter, whichhad been parked in her yard, to the raging river.

"What are they going to do to help us to get back on our feet?" she asked.

The city says it willupdateits evacuation plan on Thursday for people still out of their homes. It could beweeks until residents in the hardest hit areasare able to return.

Tom Folks decided to take his chances and stay at his property, which was not directly affected by the floodwaters.

"We've got a house and it's not got water around it or in it. So we stayed. We had food and water enough to lastfor a while, so that's why we decided to do that," he said.

"I know that people make the rules and orders for people to go but we decided to stay and I'm glad we did."

More information about the city's return plan can be found on thecity's website.