Screengrabs of a mudslide along Pine Springs Road in Kamloops on July 19, 2025. (Image Credit: David Lewis)
Mudslide

UPDATE: Evacuations not needed after mudslide in Westsyde as Kamloops crews respond to other flooding calls

Jul 19, 2025 | 1:52 PM

KAMLOOPS — (UPDATE 4:30 p.m.): Things appear to be stabilizing after a spell of heavy rain Saturday (July 19) morning led to a mudslide in Westsyde, though the City of Kamloops says evacuations will not be necessary.

Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) Deputy Chief Ryan Cail told CFJC Today that no injuries or damage has been reported to the City, and that firefighters who responded to the incident in the 900-block of Pine Springs Road have cleared the scene.

“KFR crews arrived to find homeowners in their backyard,” Cail said. “We assisted with some diking and damming to try and prevent any of the debris and water that came down from the hill from impacting homes as best we could.”

He said the City of Kamloops had crews working to ensure that roads and culverts were free of debris after KFR cleared the scene.

Video posted to Facebook this morning showed mud along Pine Springs Road as well as water flowing down the hill, but the extent of the damage caused – if anything – remains unclear at this time.

“There was no material deposited to either of the two affected homes while KFR was on scene,” Cail said. “We engaged some engineers to come in and give us their professional opinion on the site and slope stability and their recommendation was that no evacuations are needed.”

“They did recommend that homeowners in the area should stay out of their backyards for the rest of the weekend because of the rain in the forecast.”

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for the Kamloops area around 10:45 a.m. Saturday morning, as well as the Merritt, Vernon, Lillooet and Kelowna areas,

“Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain,” Environment Canada said, in its weather alert.

There have been patchy storms across the region Saturday. For example, while Westsyde was being inundated by the storm that caused the mudslide, residents in nearby Brocklehurst took to social media to say they didn’t experience any rain.

The City of Kamloops is asking people who come across catch basins that are plugged or any other instances of localized flooding to call the Civic Operations Department at 250-828-3461.

“We’ve had crews out since about 1 o’clock this afternoon,” Greg Wightman, the City’s Utility and Environmental Services Services Manager, told CFJC. “They’re going to stay on right through the afternoon and the evening just so we have crews available, if needed.”

Wightman said while those crews have responded to a few other calls about localized flooding, none of the instances have been as significant as the one in Westsyde.

“It’s been really weird weather,” Wightman added. “It’s seems to be little storm cells that are hitting different parts of town so the calls have been pretty widespread, but its mostly about the usual puddles on the road and things like that.”