Geotechnical engineers will be at the scene of two landslides in Campbell River today while residents wait to hear if they can return home.
A mass of debris containing mud, branches and rock poured down the steep hillside above a pair of condominium buildings at 738 and 758 Island Highway South during wet and stormy weather on Tuesday evening.
Officials decided to relocate residents after a second smaller slide, said Drew Hadfield, acting city manager.
No one was injured but the carport at the rear of one of the buildings collapsed after being hit by the mudslide.
The area has been closed to the public, Hadfield said.
Residents were permitted to go into their homes briefly Wednesday afternoon to collect some belongings.
Engineering experts will be at the site today — and possibly longer if necessary, Hadfield said.
They will “evaluate slope stability behind the units and determine what steps, if any, are necessary to ensure that any future slides and any future issues associated with this particular slide can be addressed or next steps to take.”
This will mean looking at adjacent privately owned properties as well.
The city is continuing to monitor the area, Hadfield said. “It is still an active slide area until we have determined otherwise.”
The focus is ensuring that people are safe and the buildings will not be occupied permanently until that is the case, he said. It is too soon to say when residents might be able to return.
Still to be determined is the extent of structural damage from the slides.
The impact from the mud and the slide is primarily behind the 738 building, Hadfield said.
There is no estimate of the volume of material in the slide, but Hadfield said much of the water that came down with it washed away.
About 25 volunteers have pitched in to ensure residents are taken care of, dedicating more than 100 hours of their time, said Shaun Koopman, protective services co-ordinator for the Strathcona Regional District.
Residents initially went to a temporary reception area in the Campbell River Baptist Church on Dogwood Street. A second reception area was set up in the Dogwood Room in the Strathcona Gardens Recreation Centre.
Trained emergency support services volunteers are at the centre to help those affected and to ensure their basic needs are met.
Anyone who was affected and has questions or needs support can call 250-203-1972 or send an email to [email protected].
Most residents are staying with friends and family, while about 10 are being put up in local hotels, Koopman said.
A number of agencies responded to the slide, including the city, the Strathcona Regional District and its support services, the province of B.C. RCMP, firefighters, B.C. Transit and the Salvation Army.
Koopman urged residents to sign up for a free account through the srd.ca website. Some residents who showed up at the reception area on Wednesday did not realize that a place had been set up the previous night.
