Crews begin stabilizing rock that led to 25 homes being evacuated in Penticton, B.C. - Action News
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British Columbia

Crews begin stabilizing rock that led to 25 homes being evacuated in Penticton, B.C.

An evacuation order remains in place Wednesday for 25 homes in the Southern Interior community of Penticton, B.C. due to fears of a potential rockslide.

25 properties in Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park were told to leave Tuesday due to unstable rock

A rock in a formation is pictured with a visible crack.
A rock with a large crack in it prompted the evacuation of 25 properties in a Penticton, B.C., mobile home park on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

An evacuation order remains in place Wednesday for 25 homes in the Southern Interior community of Penticton, B.C., due to fears of a potential rock slide.

The city says it was notified on Tuesday morning about a large rock that may break off a cliff, and a geotechnical engineer's review prompted the evacuation of the properties.

Some residents of Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park will have to remain out of their homes for a while longer, withemergency support services extended for another day.

The City of Penticton says crews have begun the process of stabilizing the rock with the first step being to raise a retaining wall to protectthe community from further damage.

A rock with a crack in it on a slope is pictured behind a home.
The first step in stabilizing the rock will be to raise the height of a stabilizing wall around the community, according to the City of Penticton's emergency program coordinator. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

"We are working as fast as we can to get people home," said Brittany Seibert, the city's emergency program coordinator."We don't enjoy having people evacuated from their homes, but we do it to ensure the safety of our residents."

Seibertsaid a geotechnical assessment of the precarious rock hasbeen completed, and the next steps inbuttressing the rockwouldhappen once the retaining wall was fully raised.

The city says in a statement that 37 people have registered to receive emergency support services.

It added that they may be able to reduce the size of the evacuation order once the wall has been raised, but adecision will not be made until Thursday.

The entrance to a mobile home park with a map and the words 'Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park' on it.
Residents of 25 homes in Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park have been told to leave due to the unstable rock. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

One of the people who has had to leave their home is Kerry Moss, who says he's lived in the community for years. He is currently living at a hotel.

When asked if he knew how long he would be out of his home, Moss said he didn't have a clue.

"It's anybody's guess. It could be ... tomorrow and it could be how long it takes to get the rock down," he said. "It's hard to say."

The City of Penticton says that anyone who needs to register for emergency support services can do so by calling 250-328-8749 or by emailingess@penticton.ca.

With files from Brady Strachan and The Canadian Press