Dust clouds and the roar of tumbling stone was a recurring theme on April 3, for residents in Keremeos.
After a large rock slide on the evening on April 2, several more, but smaller, slides occurred throughout the day on April 3.
Multiple residents in the community took to social media to share videos and photos of the plumes of dust kicked up by the multiple days of slides.
It is not unheard of for Keremeos' K Mountain to have a rock slide, as residents have previously witnessed, but multiple slides two days in a row is unusual.
Asked for comment, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen stated they are aware of the slides.
"The RDOS is available to provide support to the Village of Keremeos and Lower Similkameen Indian Band if requested. There are currently no evacuation alerts or orders issued by the RDOS EOC for this area," said Deborah Jones-Middleton, RDOS Senior Manager of Protective Services.
The Lower Similkmaeen Indian Band stated that the recent slides are not within the boundaries of their reserves, but they are also monitoring them.
"LSIB's Chief, Council, Band Manager, and Emergency Program Coordinator are aware of the major slide that happened Wednesday night, and the accompanied minor slides that have followed," said Justin Smith, LSIB communications. "At this time, LSIB remains in an observational role, ready to support the Village of Keremeos, the RDOS, and our neighbours, if further incidents occur that will require a coordinated response."
Keremeos has seen several slides in recent years, although the recent ones on K Mountain are more spectacular and less immediately dangerous than some of the previous ones.
In 2023, the mountains to the west of the village saw two major rock slides, and further southeast of the village a mudslide caused significant damage.
One slide closed Highway 3 in November of 2023, one led to a state of emergency at the start of that year after it damaged homes in the Eagle RV Park, and a mudslide in May cut off multiple homes in Chopaka.
Unlike those slides, the area where the recent slides have been seen does not have any structures close to the base of the mountain, but is largely farmland in the area based on satellite images.
