Francine Blanchard害羞草研究所檚 home started to fill with water long before a state of emergency was called in Kelowna.
害羞草研究所淥ur tenant woke us up at 5 a.m. Friday to say there was water in the basement,害羞草研究所� said Blanchard, whose home is on Spencer Road.
As water levels started to rise, Blanchard, who only moved to the area in September, dialed 911, not knowing where to go. Fire crews came out, assessed the situation and she and her husband got to the business of removing some family photos from what they thought would be the flood path.
The neighbourhood, she said, has never flooded since houses were built in 1995 and the creek is far from the property line, so they didn害羞草研究所檛 expect much.
But the water just kept 害羞草研究所渞ising and rising.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淓ventually it got too high for our boots, so we started to gather things from upstairs that were important to us,害羞草研究所� she said.
By the time the worst of it was over, the basement had five feet of water in it, and Blanchard, her husband and their tenant were forced to leave their home.
Blanchard took to social media immediately, asking if anyone had a furnished suite they could move into and by Sunday she had a new home.
害羞草研究所淭hey didn害羞草研究所檛 tell us to evacuate by the time I started looking,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 just knew there was no way I was staying in this house.害羞草研究所�
She now knows she won害羞草研究所檛 be back there for a couple months and the basement suite she rents will be out of commission for around six months.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 taken a toll,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 been some tears and some struggles害羞草研究所ut we害羞草研究所檙e feeling things are getting to a new normal.害羞草研究所�
What害羞草研究所檚 been tough has been that she and her husband are new to the area, so they don害羞草研究所檛 have the same network of loved ones as they would in Prince George.
The silver lining, however has been watching a new network take shape.
害羞草研究所淭he strata of Country Roads has been phenomenal,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淧eople were sandbagging around the clock and coming by and just asking, 害羞草研究所榳hat can we do?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she said.
害羞草研究所淚 feel more a part of this community than I ever have.害羞草研究所�
Her husband has also tapped into a strong community, though it害羞草研究所檚 not necessarily local.
As part of a Clive Cussler book club on Facebook, he害羞草研究所檚 proudly shared pictures of his collection of hardbacks stacked neatly in his bookshelves.
Those bookshelves, which were in a basement office, have been destroyed.
害羞草研究所淗e took a picture of them after they were flooded out and now people from all over the world are like 害羞草研究所榳here are you? we害羞草研究所檙e sending you the books,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she said.
The damage to the property, expands beyond well-loved items, however, and that害羞草研究所檚 a matter for insurance.
Blanchard, said she害羞草研究所檚 been lucky so far. Their insurance firm is going to bat for them to get as much coverage as possible, but it won害羞草研究所檛 be 100 per cent.
害羞草研究所淭hey explained to us that during the floods in High River Alberta, they covered the cost to replacing the drywall and repairs needed up to the bottom of the window seal because that害羞草研究所檚 a sump-pump failure,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淭he overland water isn害羞草研究所檛 covered.害羞草研究所�
For years flooding assistance was provided by the provincial and federal governments, but flooding insurance is becoming more readily available from privatized companies.
Director of government relations Aaron Sutherland at the Insurance Bureau of Canada said B.C. has been relatively lucky, compared to provinces like Alberta, which had extensive floods in 2013.
害羞草研究所淎s our climate changes, and as we see more storms happening more often, we can expect flood events to happen more and more frequently,害羞草研究所� Sutherland said.
Separate from the standard home owner policy, Sutherland said residential flooding insurance has been available for the past year.
Insurance companies are currently offering residential flooding insurance in B.C. but Sutherland said the government and insurance companies are in a bit of a transition period, with some companies offering it, while the government continues to provide funding.
害羞草研究所淥ver the next 10 years we expect this market to become increasingly available,害羞草研究所� said Sutherland. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e in a bit of a transition period right now. Increasingly insurers are taking away that financial burden from government and putting it towards the private sector. Not everyone is going to have it.害羞草研究所�
He recommends 害羞草研究所減eople living at risk of (flooding) to get out and find if the protection is available for them.害羞草研究所�
For now, government assistance does not cover secondary homes, so if a person owns a home in Vancouver and in the Okanagan, the Okanagan home will not be covered if they aren害羞草研究所檛 the primary residents, but residential flooding insurance will.
Sutherland estimates it costs roughly $100 to $200 for a majority of Canadian homes per year for flooding insurance.
It varies by company, so he suggests to shop around.
The provincial government is providing disaster financial assurance for homes affected by flooding. 害羞草研究所淔inancial assistance is provided for each accepted claim at 80 per cent of the amount of total eligible damage that exceeds $1,000, to a maximum claim of $300,000,害羞草研究所� according to a government release.
http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/flood-assistance-available/
Going forward will simply require resilience for many Canadians.
Blanchard has seen a good role-model of it close to her water-logged home.
害羞草研究所淚 will be just be like a dandelion and we害羞草研究所檒l get through this,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e already popping through.害羞草研究所�
