Dust storm coming into Kamloops from the North Thompson/via Brett Mineer

A reminder of what lower water levels and a good blast of wind can bring to Kamloops.

Much of the city was hit with a massive amount of sand and dust around 11 Thursday morning coming from the North Thompson corridor due to high wind gusts.

This led to numerous calls to Kamloops Fire Rescue to respond to downed power lines.

KFR Life Safety Educator Jeff Pont says downed lines need to be reported immediately.

“You can’t go wrong with calling 9-1-1 for sure. Things like that are definitely an emergency. Our dispatchers have the capacity to contact BC Hydro and link up that way,” noted Pont.

The storm knocked out power to a few hundred BC Hydro customers around Kamloops for a time, with most affected areas restored within a couple of hours.

It comes as the forecast is calling for wind gusts of around 50 to 80 kilometers per hour throughout the day and into Friday morning, with the possibility of thundershower activity as well.

Portions of Kamloops are considered under a High fire danger rating by the BC Wildfire Service.

Fire Danger rating in Kamloops and surrounding area, with pink considered High danger, while red, such as in Merritt, considered Extreme/via BC Wildfire Service

Pont says while this is of concern, he notes this doesn’t change their operational status.

“I think we’re always aware of it, both as fire fighters and as citizens of Kamloops. But our game plan doesn’t change. We’re fully staffed and prepared to our job when we need to.”

The forecast is calling for rain to accompany the winds, which should help ease the immediate fire danger.

Health officials advise that in dust storms like the one seen late Thursday morning, people with breathing problems are recommended to limit outdoor activity and keep the windows in their homes closed.

The #Kamloops dust bowl. pic.twitter.com/beIxmAleJL

— Brett Mineer (@MineerBrett) May 16, 2024