A new series of storms is forecast to bring heavy rain and wind to southwestern British Columbia starting Tuesday, after weekend weather knocked out power and caused at least one death.
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Forecasters say a new parade of storms is heading for already drenched areas of British Columbia, with Environment Canada escalating rainfall warnings for parts of the province and warning of flooding and landslides as a “very robust” frontal system makes landfall Tuesday morning.
Orange rainfall warnings have been raised for west and central Vancouver Island, Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky regions. Environment Canada says the storms could bring a deluge topping 250 millimetres in some areas, with more than 160 millimetres expected for Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky and more than 120 millimetres forecast for Metro Vancouver near the mountains.
The province’s River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch covering Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky, parts of Metro Vancouver, most of Vancouver Island, the Central Coast and northern Fraser Valley. The centre said the heaviest rain is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, with rainfall lingering through the rest of the week.
The River Forecast Centre urged residents to stay away from river banks and to never cross flooded roads or bridges. Communities in the region have begun preparing for the incoming storms, including the City of Vancouver, which opened additional shelter spaces on Monday and Tuesday.
Weekend storm conditions caused disruptions across the coast. Wild weather that began last week and continued over the weekend temporarily cut power to about 415,000 BC Hydro customers.
At least two deaths were reported in connection with the weekend weather. In Vancouver, police said a 78-year-old woman died in hospital on Saturday after being hit by a car while crossing the road during a heavy downpour in an unmarked crosswalk at Dunbar Street and West 34th Avenue the day before. In Surrey, police said a tree fell on two vehicles, killing one of the drivers.
Other storm-related incidents included a missing canoeist off northern Vancouver Island. The Ma’amtagila Nation on the Central Coast says a man went to sea on Friday in a canoe and is missing, and that the vessel was found capsized, while Environment Canada said gusts reached 88 kilometres per hour in nearby waters that day. The Ma’amtagila Tribe Society said searchers have been unable to reach many beaches and forested areas and called for federal search assistance.
Environment Canada also cited strong winds over the weekend, including 116-kilometre-per-hour winds on Herbert Island off northern Vancouver Island on Sunday, with Victoria’s airport recording 96 kilometres per hour.
In its statement, Environment Canada said the rainfall event is arriving after several low-pressure systems moved through the region in recent days, bringing substantial precipitation to parts of the coast.
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