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Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road debris flow triggers evacuation order

The instability of the debris site at McIntyre Creek and forecast of 10 to 12 mm of rain in the near future were key factors in evacuation.
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Massive trees and mud blocked access in the 6000 block of Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road on Wednesday.

An evacuation order remains in place for residents affected by the McIntyre Creek de­bris flow located on Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road approximately 15 kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Shuswap Emergency officials report that uncertainty of debris stability, coupled with a 10 to 12 mm of rain forecasted for the Shuswap area by Environment Canada, were deciding factors in the decision to maintain the evacua­tion order until further assessment has been conducted by subject matter experts.

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure continue to conduct work required to re­pair damage to the site of the debris flow. Repair to the road will require the road to be closed for a period of time today.

Dispatched to the slide at 11:30 Wednesday, Tappen-Sunnybrae Fire Chief Kyle Schneider estimated the slide  to be about 100 metres wide by 15 metres high.

“It doesn’t look like it was damaged,” he said of a summer residence owned by someone from Alberta. “There could be a broken basement window under all the mud, but we can’t tell with all the mud.”

Due to the instability of the area and other safety concerns, the public are asked to keep clear of the incident site and assist in lowering traffic flow until further notice.

Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road debris flow triggers evacuation order