Residents have been allowed to return home as stabilization work gets underway on a hillside in Penticton, B.C., that posed a threat of a rockslide.
Twenty-five homes in the Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park on Tuesday were evacuated when the potential threat was identified. As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the residents have been given the green light to return home.
“Based on expert advice, we’re comfortable the new retaining wall will provide an appropriate buffer as we begin the next stage in securing the rock and this allows us to lift the order for residents who will now remain on evacuation alert,” says Emergency Operations Centre director Kristen Dixon.
Work on stabilizing the rock will begin shortly and could take up to several weeks to complete.
“We want to thank the residents for their cooperation and our public work crews, Emergency Support Service volunteers, and the outside experts who have moved as quickly as possible to deal with this potential threat,” says Dixon.
The city is advising residents not to explore the area between the newly constructed lock-block wall and the unstable bank.