WATCH: The “Pineapple Express” is soaking Metro Vancouver and causing flooding everywhere. Elaine Yong shows us the damage and why ski hills are calling it a disaster.
VANCOUVER – Residents and drivers around Metro Vancouver are reporting heavy flooding on the roads and on their properties as a rainfall warning continues for many parts of B.C.’s South Coast.
Rainfall warnings have been issued for the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and West Vancouver Island. Rainfall rates of four to six mm an hour will result in up to 100 mm of rain in some areas by Saturday morning.
WATCH: Raw video of flooding in Burnaby
Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga says other areas will see 30 to 50 mm of rain over the next 24 hours.
Areas of Burnaby, Surrey, Maple Ridge and Vancouver have been hit the hardest so far, but residents in other areas should be prepared for localized flooding and / or flash floods.
The Vancouver Park Board says Lumbermen’s Arch is flooded at the north end of Stanley Park, with traffic being diverted to Pipeline Road. In Burnaby, there has been extensive flooding around Still Creek, with Westminster Avenue closed between Still Creek Drive and Regent Street.
Don’t approach washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts.
All this rain is bad news for the local ski hills as well.
The BC River Forecast Centre has issued a Flood Watch for Kingcome River and a High Streamflow Advisory for Vancouver Island including the north and west areas.
“An atmospheric river event is expected to impact coastal British Columbia over the next few days, bringing heavy rainfall Friday and Saturday,” the notice advises. “Current weather modelling from Environment Canada is forecasting the heaviest rain to occur along the west coast of Vancouver Island, from Tofino north to Port Alice and Port Hardy, and on the Coast Mountains from Knight Inlet to Dean Channel. Two-day rainfall totals of over 150 mm are possible. In conjunction with the rain, temperatures are forecast to increase, and snow melt at mid-elevation is expected to add to the runoff during this event.”
Seasonally-high tides are also expected through the weekend. Peak river levels are expected later on Saturday or on Sunday morning.
The River Forecast Centre will continue to monitor conditions.
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