Water is flowing down the slope opposite of Ramage Road at 5225 Southern Yellowhead Highway.

(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS – Geotechnical experts are keeping a close eye on a hillside in the Palmer-Forsyth Area north of Kamloops after fears of a landslide prompted an evacuation order yesterday evening.

Twenty-two residents living in nine homes on Ramage Road are still under the evacuation order issued by the City of Kamloops yesterday around 5:30 p.m., April 27.

The City is bringing in monitoring equipment this weekend which will start to provide readings early next week from 10 locations on the hillside, according to a media release. The monitoring will continue for several weeks to determine the slope's stability.

"We understand the evacuated residents are concerned and we are striving to keep them informed with accurate information," Emergency Operation Centre information officer Tammy Robertson says in the release. "We are hoping to get them back to their homes as soon as possible."

Five-year resident Don Funk was evacuated yesterday evening and today he stopped by his property to check on his daughter's sheep, chicken, horse and cow.

The unstable hillside in the Palmer-Forsyth area north of Kamloops is pictured in this photo submitted by the City of Kamloops.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/City of Kamloops

According to Funk, rain is seeping into the ground from culverts across the highway.

"We had that slide on April 10 that came across the highway and you can still see some remnants there," Funk says, pointing to debris on the side of the Southern Yellowhead Highway.

He says the evacuation is more of a waiting game and at most an inconvenience.

"The highways, gas company, hydro and rail company all have a stake in this area, so we aren't the poor little taxpayer trying to organize how to fix this. I'm sure they'll come up with a plan," he says.

The City says there is 24-hour security controlling access to Ramage Road where the evacuated homes are located. Highway 5 is open to traffic in both directions and the province is providing traffic control services.

Emergency services for evacuated residents are available at emergency reception centre at the McArthur Island Sports Arena from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Geotechnical experts are keeping a close eye on a hillside in the Palmer-Forsyth Area north of Kamloops after fears of a landslide prompted an evacuation order yesterday evening, Thursday, April 27, 2017.

Image Credit: GOOGLE MAPS

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