A fresh spell of intense rain is striking southwestern B.C. while the area is still recovering from recent flooding and strong winds. The ongoing situation includes the following updates:
– The Coquitlam River downstream of the Coquitlam Dam was upgraded to a flood warning by the River Forecast Centre on Tuesday evening.
– Approximately 100 properties are under evacuation orders, with 11 in Abbotsford and 1,200 under evacuation alerts across B.C.
– Around 5,000 B.C. Hydro customers are currently experiencing power outages.
– Tragically, a woman in Chilliwack lost her life when she was hit by a falling tree during high winds in the Fraser Valley.
– Due to landslide damage, Highway 3 from Hope to Manning Park has been closed.
– The Sumas border is accessible for passenger traffic but remains closed for commercial vehicles.
– DriveBC provides a comprehensive list of road closures and reopenings.
– The City of Vancouver has opened additional shelter spaces in response to the rainfall warning.
Environment Canada predicts up to 70 millimeters of rainfall in areas like Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley on Tuesday, extending into Wednesday morning. Rainfall warnings have been issued for southern parts of Vancouver Island, Howe Sound, and sections of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Cleanup efforts began in the Fraser Valley on Monday as water levels receded, originating from the Nooksack River in Washington state. However, flood risks persist for various B.C. rivers, now including Metro Vancouver’s North Shore.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued flood warnings for the Chilliwack River and Sumas River, indicating overflowed river levels leading to or imminent flooding. Additionally, flood warnings have been issued for Vancouver Island, parts of the South Coast, and the Sea-to-Sky corridor, areas previously under flood watch.
The recent heavy rainfall resulted in 190 millimeters in Squamish and 163 millimeters in Zeballos on Vancouver Island. The District of Squamish conducted a controlled wastewater release into Harris Slough to alleviate pressure on its treatment plant.
In the North Shore Mountains, the Seymour River experienced a significant rise in water levels, reaching a level occurring approximately once every 50 years. Although conditions stabilized, the flood warning was downgraded to a flood watch.
Federal Minister of Transport Steve MacKinnon emphasized the need for enhanced resilience in transportation routes following recent closures that isolated B.C.’s Lower Mainland. MacKinnon highlighted the importance of making transportation networks more resilient to weather events.
B.C. Hydro is progressing in restoring power to customers affected by outages caused by the recent storm. Over 90,000 customers were initially impacted, with Squamish, Duncan, and Hope being the hardest-hit areas.
Monday saw unseasonably warm temperatures, with more than 25 communities in B.C. setting new daily high temperature records. The weather pattern is expected to shift from above-seasonal temperatures to cooler conditions across the South Coast throughout the week.
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