Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/870050
22 BCA A .COM FALL 2017 Dan Derby, iStock The couple was attracted to the area by its tranquillity. The possibility that their beautiful home on the edge of the lake could be at risk for flooding never crossed their minds. But this spring, like so many others in BC's Interior, the Silcocks family found themselves facing down the forces of Mother Nature. A combination of weather factors, such as above-average snowfall on the nearby mountains, a fast snowmelt and heavy rainfall, made for a volatile combination … and a lot of water. Staying dry in the Okanagan In early May, the north Okanagan community of Lumby was hit hard by flooding; residents were evacuated and many homes suffered damage. As the Silcocks family followed the news that the waters were predicted to rise even further, they took proactive action to protect their home, removing the boards of their deck, which overlooked the lake, to gain access to the ground. Enlisting friends and family, they built a sandbag wall to protect their home from rising lake levels. This foresight may well have saved their home: in mid-May, high winds began kicking waves over the sandbag wall. But the pump did its job, sending the water back into the lake as quickly as it came. "It seemed like a losing battle at times," Lindsay says. "But my husband was very determined, and I'm glad he was. I think what saved us is we started early." Over the coming weeks, they had many sleepless nights, lying awake wondering if they were going to be flooded. They built a makeshift breakwater, and with the help of friends, neighbours and firefighters from nearby Revelstoke, added another 600 sandbags to their wall. In the end, ingenuity and prompt action saved their home from damage. Although Lindsay recalls the fight to save their home as being stressful and "all-consuming," she says having Flood Insurance gave them some peace of mind, in case the forces of nature won out. A new kind of Flood Insurance Until 2016, Canadian insurers didn't offer coverage for overland flooding, or water entering a home from above-ground sources such as lakes, rivers, creeks and rainfall. Between 2003 and 2013, Canada had 9 disasters with damages surpassing $500 million each. Prior to that, only 3 Canadian disasters exceeded $500 million in damages.