B.C. storm live updates: Heavy rain, power outages hit Metro Vancouver

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Heavy rain drenched the B.C. south coast on Saturday and Sunday, causing power outages, flash flooding, traffic delays and potentially affecting voter turnout on election day.

The season’s first significant storm is expected to dump 90 to 150 millimetres of rain on Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley between Friday and Sunday, said Environment Canada.

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Photos: See the atmospheric river in action across Metro Vancouver in photos and videos

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About 34.2 mm of rain fell on Vancouver International Airport on Friday, the same amount of precipitation it has received for all of October. That total was almost doubled on Saturday with 67.1 mm falling at YVR.

The rain was heaviest on Saturday, with a whopping 134.5 mm recorded in West Vancouver, 117.6 mm in Pitt Meadows and Coquitlam, which had recorded 116 mm of rain by Saturday morning.

Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for the B.C. south coast and Vancouver Island.

It said the North Shore mountains could potentially get about 180 mm of rain, while areas along the Sea to Sky corridor could get 90 to 150 mm.

Drivers are warned to be careful on the Sea to Sky Highway and the Coquihalla Highway, which is expected to get about 40 to 70 mm, because of a higher risk of washouts, landslides and rockfall.

Here’s a roundup of storm-related events across Metro Vancouver on Saturday and Sunday

Evacuation order issued for six homes in Deep Cove

The District of Vancouver has ordered the evacuation of six homes in Deep Cove due to safety concerns following the weekend’s torrential downpour.

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The municipality declared a state of local emergency and issued the evacuation order Sunday evening.

It is in effect over six properties on Panorama Drive.

The district said that “inspections by qualified professionals during the morning of October 20 found that potential failure of private infrastructure is deemed to create a risk to public safety.”

Deep Cove experienced significant flooding after a record-breaking deluge overwhelmed the stormwater system.

On Saturday, video clips from area residents and businesses showed water streaming down Gallant Avenue.

The district said residents of the evacuated properties are eligible for emergency support services through the North Shore emergency management office at 778-651-9600.

A reception centre set up Saturday at Mickey McDougall recreation centre has been closed.

Metro Vancouver sewers overflowing due to storm

Metro Vancouver crews are working to repair nearly two dozen overflowing sewers that couldn’t cope with the heavy rainfall dumped on the region by this weekend’s storm.

Lorn Carter, director of wastewater collection and drainage for Metro Vancouver said there were 21 leaks and breaks from broken pipes or manholes on Saturday.

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Seven of the overflows have been fixed, but 14 are still spilling untreated wastewater into the region’s waterways, including Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, and Boundary Bay.

The damage is widespread, affecting mostly Vancouver and the North Shore but also Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster, Port Moody, Richmond, Maple Ridge and Langley.

Carter said the impact is comparable to the damage wrought by the atmospheric river in November 2021, which caused flooding, landslides, and severed highways and railroads.

“This is up there in terms of how many spills we have as a result of a rain,” he said.

Crews are working with municipalities to fix the repairs. He expects the work to continue into the week, noting some broken pipes would require the furious flow of water to subside first before crews can access the pipes and fix them.

Coquitlam homeowner missing after property hit by mudslide

Search and rescue crews and emergency responders are searching for the resident of a Coquitlam home that was swept away by a mudslide.

Coquitlam RCMP said officers were called to a mudslide that hit Quarry Road between Calgary Drive and MacIntyre Road, north of Minnekhada Regional Park, at around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

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Police found debris amid the fast-moving water on the road, remnants of a property that was washed away by the slide.

On Sunday, search and rescue crews were out searching for the homeowner, who remains unaccounted for.

The area around the mudslide is “unstable, dangerous and unsafe,” said Cpl. Alexa Hodgins of Coquitlam RCMP. That section of Quarry Road remains closed in both directions, cutting off several homes on the other side of the slide.

Hodgins said first responders are in touch with residents who are advised to shelter in place. There is no timeline as to when the road would reopen.

City crews are cleaning up Sunday after record rainfall hit the city on the weekend. In some areas, up to 200 mm fell within 24 hours, causing widespread flooding as stormwater systems were overwhelmed and the Coquitlam River threatened to overflow its banks.

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The flood warning for the Coquitlam River has been lifted, but road closures remain.

The city’s parks workers are also assessing parks and trails that may have been affected, including Mundy Park. 

Several parks remain closed due to safety concerns, including the Town Centre Park lake loop, Coquitlam River trail, Coquitlam Crunch, and Cape Horn tot lot.

Rainfall records set on Saturday

The atmospheric river weather system that lashed British Columbia’s coast on the day of the provincial election has sent daily rainfall records tumbling.

Environment Canada figures show new daily rainfall records were set Saturday in Victoria, Squamish, Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Nakusp and the Agassiz and Pitt Meadows areas.

About a dozen records were set in the Lower Mainland on Oct. 19, including:

• West Vancouver — 134.6 millilitres of rain (previous record 34.8 mm set in 1970)
• Langley — 117.6 mm (previous record 42.9 mm set in 1956)
• White Rock — 77 mm (previous record 37.1 mm set in 1956)
• Abbotsford — 82.1 mm (previous record 59.2 mm set in 1966)
• Vancouver — 67.1 mm (previous record 59.7 mm set in 1956)

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Data wasn’t available for Coquitlam, but the city says up to 200 mm fell within 24 hours on Saturday.

Rainfall warnings remain in effect for much of the south coast, with Environment Canada saying Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley could see an additional 20 to 40 millimetres before the rain is expected to ease later Sunday.

B.C.’s River Forecast Centre is also maintaining flood warnings for the Coquitlam River in Metro Vancouver and waterways on southwestern Vancouver Island.

A rainfall warning also covers parts of the West Kootenay and Columbia regions, including a stretch of the Trans Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden.

The rainfall is expected to ease Sunday evening down to a chance of showers, but unsettled conditions will linger into Monday, said Environment Canada meteorologist Gary Dickinson.

“The rain is going to taper off but we’re not totally drying out until Tuesday.”

With files from Canadian Press

Officials say tap water still safe for drinking despite cloudiness

Metro Vancouver residents can still safely drink from their taps despite any cloudiness they may see due to heavy rainfall.

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According to the Metro Vancouver authority, Saturday’s rainfall has caused increased turbidity — a cloudiness that occurs due to clay and silt being stirred up — in the Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam water supply areas.

“As a result, treatment and disinfection levels have been increased as a safety precaution and Metro Vancouver is operating the water system to maximize water quality,” said officials in a statement.

Health officials are “confident the water remains safe to drink despite its cloudy appearance,” and that the cloudy water is mostly in the eastern part of the Metro Vancouver region.

Transit detours in effect across the region due to flooding

A number of buses were detoured from their regular routes on Saturday due to flooding and roadblocks across Metro Vancouver.

The Expo Line saw a shuttle train set up briefly between Columbia and Scott Road stations due to a track issue, but service was later restored.

Bus service to Deep Cove was also suspended due to flooding, with the 211 and 212 routes both being detoured around the area.

The 371 to Surrey Central / Scott Road also saw detours.

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Homes, businesses flooded on North Shore as stormwater systems overwhelmed

Some homes and businesses on the North Shore were flooded Saturday as heavy rain persisted and some creeks and tributaries overflowed their banks.

The District of North Vancouver, City of North Vancouver and District of West Vancouver saw some of the heaviest rainfall in Metro Vancouver.

“The rate the rain came down over the last six to eight hours was enough to overwhelm the capacity of the stormwater systems in certain areas, which caused localized flooding,” said Gord Howard, director of North Shore emergency management and West Vancouver fire chief.

“We’ve had numerous calls from the members of the public from areas that had been flooded and were requesting assistance.”

Hard-hit neighbourhoods include Deep Cove in North Vancouver, where water could be seen running down Gallant Avenue, and Ambleside and Dundarave in West Vancouver.

Engineering crews were out overnight maintaining storm sewers, but the system still got overwhelmed.

On Saturday, city crews and firefighters were working to redirect water, when possible, away from homes and businesses by erecting dams, sandbagging, or pumping the water.

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Howard said there have been a few cases of people calling for assistance because of flooding in their homes.

In one case, an occupant of an RV that was parked on West 3rd Street in North Vancouver had to call for help after the street was inundated.

Another home in North Vancouver, east of Cleveland Park, was also flooded and its residents relocated.

Howard said some areas where there was flooding had cleared as rainfall eased and the stormwater system was able to catch up. However, with rain forecast Saturday afternoon into the evening, more flooding could occur.

“We’ve had instances in the past where we had flooding, but these atmospheric rivers are certainly something that is new for us,” he said, adding that the relatively dry summer meant the ground is inadequately prepared to absorb all the water being dumped by the storm.

Howard advised people to stay home and stay away from rivers, slopes and any flooding that is ankle-deep until the system passes.

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North Shore Emergency Management has set up a reception centre for displaced residents at Mickey McDougall Recreation Centre on 240 E. 23rd Street in North Vancouver.

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Over in West Vancouver, MacDonald and Marr creeks were both flooded, with water levels “continuing to run high and fast,” said police in an X update. Some low-lying areas along Bellevue and Marine also saw pooling water.

Flood warnings issued for Coquitlam River and western Vancouver Island

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued flood warnings for the Coquitlam River at Port Coquitlam and above Coquitlam Lake as sections of the lower Fraser River threaten to overflow the banks.

A flood warning — which means river levels have exceeded its banks or are expected to overflow imminently — was also in effect on western Vancouver Island, including rivers around Tofino, Port Renfrew and surrounding areas.

There was a rapid rise in river levels Friday and Saturday and the threat is expected to persist into Sunday, said the agency.

Social media posts also appeared to show severe flooding at Coquitlam’s Partington Creek where the overflowing water had sent salmon into the roadways. Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake at Town Centre Park also saw heavy flooding, where water has gone over the banks.

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“The hazards are most pronounced on West Vancouver Island and into Howe Sound, the North Shore Mountains and Fraser Valley,” it said.

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Flows are highest on western Vancouver Island, where water levels could surpass its typical 20-year flow.

“Adjacent areas continue to have the potential for flooding during this period, particularly if the atmospheric river stalls or if spillover occurs from regions with the highest forecast rainfall.

The River Forecast Centre has also issued flood watches for the lower Fraser tributaries, including the Lillooet River and rivers in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

Flood watches are also in effect for other rivers in the region, including on the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, and Sea to Sky region.

Lane closures, blocked roads due to localized flooding

There were several reports across Metro Vancouver of localized flooding and road closures following Saturday morning’s deluge.

A mudslide has closed Quarry Road in both directions between Calgary Drive and MacIntyre Road in Coquitlam. Coquitlam RCMP responded at about 12:30 p.m. and found fast-moving water and debris surging across the road.

The area is unstable and dangerous, said Cpl. Alexa Hodgins. “We are urging the public to stay out of the area and shelter in a safe place.”

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At around 8 a.m. Surrey RCMP cordoned off a flooded 76th Avenue and 152nd Street after several vehicles tried to drive through the waist-high waters at the intersection and stalled.

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Drivers were asked to avoid King George Boulevard and 128th Street in Surrey because of water pooling on a section of King George Boulevard as southbound traffic exits the Pattullo Bridge near 128th Street.

In West Vancouver, the west and eastbound ramps from 21st Street to Highway 1 are closed due to flooding. There was also localized flooding on sections of Highway 1 in Burnaby near Willingdon and along Lougheed Highway in Burnaby and Maple Ridge.

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Drivers taking the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge are also being warned of delays, after the westbound right lane was closed due to flooding just north of the span on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the intersection of Gilmore and Dawson in Burnaby was closed due to flooding under the SkyTrain overpass.

Overflowing water has caused manholes to pop along Marine Drive from Taylor Way to 24th Street, said West Van police, while in Langley, RCMP have shut down 40th Avenue between 216 Street and 212 Street over concerns of a possible sink hole.

“Heavy rainfall within the past 24 hours has compromised the stability of the roadway,” said Cpl. Zynal Sharoom, who warned motorists, pedestrians and cyclists to avoid the area.

Port Coquitlam officials also closed Coast Meridian from Prairie to Apel Drive due to flooding at Hyde Creek. Coast Meridian serves as a major connector for residents on Burke Mountain. An emergency services centre has been set at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre for residents who have been displaced.

The downpour also created hazardous conditions for pedestrians trying to cross intersections or navigate sidewalks.

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Water has been spilling over sidewalks in some areas, including East Hastings and Clark Streets. The flooding prompted Vancouver police to close a number of intersections Saturday morning, including Clark and East Hastings, Clark and Williams, Knight between East 12th and 14th, and Oak and West 57th.

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Arash Memarzadeh, whose family runs Pomegranate Grillhouse and Cafe, shot a video of water gushing down Gallant Avenue, one of the neighbourhood’s main roads.

It’s “basically a river primarily hitting the north side businesses,” including restaurants, galleries, and a theatre, he said.

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Another Deep Cove resident, Frank Luba, reported that Little Creek above Cliffwood Road “normally a clear burbling brook is now a muddy raging torrent.”

Thousands of homes without power due to downed lines

More than 6,300 households are without power in the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.

B.C. Hydro has been dispatching crews to deal with outages in many municipalities, including Surrey, Langley, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam, West Vancouver, and Gibsons.

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Crews are also dealing with outages on Vancouver Island affecting about 2,300 customers.

“With the long dry stretches over the summer we know there’s vegetation that has been weakened by drought making it more susceptible to wind,” said B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Mora Scott on X.

“As a result we could see more dead and damaged trees and branches coming down and potentially causing power outages on our system,” she said.

The adverse weather is also affecting voting places. Some polling stations in Langley, Kamloops, Mayne Island, Denman Island and Hornby Island have been temporarily closed or have delayed openings due to power outages.

Elections B.C. said officials are on-site to direct voters to other locations.

Andrew Watson, senior director of communications for Elections B.C., said it will focus on ensuring it is prepared for bad weather.

“We’ve also been working with B.C. Hydro to make sure that they’re aware of all of our voting place locations so that they can respond quickly if there are any power outages,” he said.

Elections B.C. also has paper backups for all of its systems in case there is a power failure, forcing them to go through manual procedures, Watson said.

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Storm forces cancellation on some B.C. Ferries sailings

The severe weather has forced the cancellation of some B.C. Ferries sailings.

Some sailings between Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver and Departure Bay in Nanaimo were cancelled Friday night.

On Saturday, major routes are operating as scheduled, although there have been some cancellations on the minor Hornby Island and Denman Island route due to absenteeism.

Ghost train, B.C. Lions pre-game event cancelled

The storm has forced the closure of the City of Vancouver’s sold-out Stanley Park ghost train on Friday and Saturday.

The City said it has decided to close the popular Halloween event for the safety of guests and staff. Ticket holders will be refunded.

The B.C. Lions has also cancelled its pre-game event at Terry Fox Plaza outside B.C. Place due to the storm. The game against the Montreal Alouettes, however, will proceed as scheduled.

chchan@postmedia.com

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