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Vernon mom and kids flooded out of home

Another couple in the area also forced out of their basement suite

After a busy Christmas weekend with her two kids, Claire Flater was sound asleep until she woke to the sound of water around 2:15 a.m. Monday, Dec. 27.

“It was hitting my bedroom window,” said Flater, whose basement suite was soon flooded with approximately two inches of water.

Temperatures had dipped to around -24 Celsius, freezing water inside city pipes and causing them to burst near 39th Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road.

Water flowed along streets, into driveways, through backyards and into several homes, including Flater’s.

“Our lower level is ruined…lots of flooding,” she said of the 39th Avenue basement suite she rents while her brother and his family live in the upstairs of the home.

Water seeped in through the walls, spilling onto the counters and soaking anything on the ground, including the newly opened Christmas gifts.

Two days later, while packing up more things to stay in a new place until she can get into a rental, Flater and her brother had yet to hear from the City of Vernon, closed for the week due to the holidays.

The situation was similar for Raine Bouzane, who lives off 39th Avenue in a basement suite with his girlfriend.

“Hoping this hasn’t affected too many people,” wrote Bouzane in a social media post.

But there was substantial flooding at 27th Street and 35th Avenue as well.

Many streets and driveways in the area were, and some still are, solid ice due to the consistent cold temperatures.

READ MORE: Vernon crews fixing water main break

READ MORE: Greater Vernon chips in with Christmas tree disposal options


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Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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