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Otter Lake in Tulameen drops back to normal, threat of another flood looms

Otter Lake has dropped back to normal, down from six feet above normal the week before.

The water level of Otter Lake in Tulameen has dropped back to normal, down from six feet above normal the week before.

But the situation could get worse if the weather warms up because more water will run into the lake from nearby snow packs, said Dale Kronebusch, emergency services supervisor for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

The weather is supposed to rise to the low 20s by the weekend of May 12.

The next flood could be worse because the ground is already wet, which could cause the water to move in much faster, Kronebusch said.

While many houses are damaged, only a few houses are still flooded, he said.

Vacation property owners came back on the weekend to see the extent of damage.

“There are a couple homes in horrendous condition,” Kronebusch said.

Eighty-one houses out of 174 were damaged by the flood.

The evacuation alert will be lifted once the threat of another flood is eliminated.

Otter Lake rose more than three feet in two days, causing an evacuation alert to be issued on April 26.

Tulameen residents were given cleaning kits by the Red Cross.