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Thousands of homes have been evacuated in B.C.’s southern Interior, and several highways have been closed, as rapidly melting snowpacks and heavy rain cause flooding throughout the province. Nearly 2,700 people are affected.

Evacuation orders were issued Thursday for the approximately 1,500 properties covering a large area along the Granby, Kettle and West Kettle rivers, as well as in the Carmi region south of Big White Mountain.

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The flooding washed out major roads and some highways, leaving Ministry of Transportation engineering crews scrambling to repair major transit routes.

The ministry says they have crews monitoring or working at more than 40 sites of “varying difficulty” in the Thompson Nicola District. More than 25 pieces of equipment are in use and more than 35 ministry staff are in the field.