Heavy rain triggers flash flood in wildfire-hit Monte Lake

The mud flow was only the latest challenge Monte Lake residents have had to contend with. Residents of the area lived through a harrowing wildfire season last year.

Residents in the Monte Lake area were cleaning up Wednesday after heavy rain triggered debris flows on Tuesday.

The flash flooding comes after the massive White Rock Lake Wildfire swept through the community last year, leaving the area more vulnerable to landslides.

Wally Green, who owns Heritage Campsite in Monte Lake, captured a video of the torrent of muddy water rushing downslope through his campground on Tuesday.

“It was flowing probably about 10 inches deep down the whole hillside. It was pretty torrential rain. I haven’t seen it rain that hard ever,” said Green.

Green’s campground is upslope from Highway 97 and the water and debris ended up flooding the highway.

“It was pretty much mud all the way to the center line,” said Green.

Campground resident Jackie Cooke said she was loading her truck when it happened and suddenly “all hell broke loose” and she found herself standing in water as if she was walking through a creek.

She described seeing her neighbours’ property floating around.