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The Village of Pemberton issued an evacuation order for a number of properties due to flooding on Wednesday, as heavy rain continued to pound parts of British Columbia.
The order applies to all properties located between 1674 and 2000 Airport Road in the community’s southeast.
A map showing the evacuation order area along Airport Road issued on Wednesday by the Village of Pemberton. (Village of Pemberton)
It comes as Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) maintains a number of rainfall and wind warnings throughout B.C. on Wednesday, saying more than 250 millimetres of rain is possible for parts of western and inland Vancouver Island.
ECCC meteorologist Jennifer Hay said Port Mellon, near Squamish, had already recorded 214 millimetres of rain in a 24 hour period.
“Because we had kind of a drought through the summer time, the trees are stressed, so the soil would be already saturated and things could slide. We could see landslides, there could be road washouts, definitely flooding in localized areas, and even in widespread areas with a a system of this nature,” she said of the storm.
The River Forecast Centre has upgraded to a flood warning for the South Coast including the Howe Sound, Sea-to-Sky and North Shore mountains regions.
It also upgraded Pemberton Valley, including Lillooet River mainstem and tributaries, and the Kingcome River to flood warnings.
Flood watches are also in place throughout southwest B.C., as officials warn drivers to be prepared for pooling water and debris on the South Coast after the storm made landfall on Tuesday.
Thousands without power
B.C. Hydro is warning that some drenched areas of the province could be without power for days, as a fall storm continued to make its presence felt on Wednesday.
Some areas of British Columbia have been without power since late last week after a series of storms rolled through, with more than 400,000 customers in total left without power between Friday and Monday, according to B.C. Hydro.
As of 2 p.m. PCT on Wednesday, nearly 13,000 customers were without power provincewide, with the South Coast and North Central Interior hardest hit.
In an update on Tuesday night, B.C. Hydro said that restoring power after the parade of storms has proven challenging due to the extensive repairs required.
“Access remains challenging in some areas due to fallen trees, debris and soft ground conditions,” the utility said.
The village of Zeballos on northwest Vancouver Island, where an evacuation order was issued last week due to a landslide, will likely remain without power for a few more days yet, it said.
“Specialized equipment is required and must be transported by helicopter due to the remote location and challenging terrain,” the B.C. Hydro update reads. “The earliest crews can access the site is Thursday, provided weather conditions allow safe access.”
Warning for drivers
The weather warnings posted throughout B.C. cover the entirety of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, as well as the Sunshine Coast, the central Interior and Prince George areas, and portions of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Canyon.
In west and inland Vancouver Island, ECCC says that rainfall rates could go as high as 20 millimetres per hour at times on Wednesday, and up to 160 millimetres of rain could fall on the Sea-to-Sky Highway by Thursday morning.
“Localized flooding is likely. Some roads may become impassable,” the warning reads.
The Ministry of Transportation and Transit has issued a Traffic Advisory for the South Coast region, including the Lower Mainland, #SunshineCoast, #VancouverIsland & the Fraser Valley. Drivers should prepare for winds, heavy rainfall & possible flooding. Never drive across flooded roads, bridges or river crossings. Follow @DriveBC for updates. More info: https://t.co/sHy7chVK6E #BCStorm #BCFlood #BC
DriveBC said the Bamfield Road on Vancouver Island was closed at the 42 kilometre mark due to a mudslide, and urged drivers to avoid the area.
B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation issued a traffic advisory on Tuesday, warning commuters on the South Coast to be prepared and check DriveBC before heading out.
Areas that could be most affected, according to the ministry’s traffic advisory, are the Sea-to-Sky Highway, Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, and the Malahat and western coast communities on Vancouver Island.
Environment Canada says the province will get a bit of a break on Thursday, but another storm system is approaching the province on Friday.