Several communities in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the coastal mainland saw flooding and high stream advisories after heavy rains pummeled the region Saturday and Sunday.
Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning late last week for several parts of coastal B.C. While the warning was lifted by Sunday morning, the rain continued to fall in several areas until the afternoon.
While Saturday’s rain was largely limited to western Vancouver Island and the central and northern coasts, Sunday brought a huge downpour to the Lower Mainland and North Shore extending into the Fraser Valley.
By 11:15 a.m., city crews in Vancouver had already responded to 32 reported cases of flooding and catch basin issues, the city said.
Some roadways and bridges, including the 3000-block of Knight Street and the Oak Street Bridge, saw major pools of water form, making it treacherous for drivers.
Those stretches were momentarily closed to allow crews to clear clogged catch basins, but have since re-opened.
Five other flooding issues were reported overnight between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m., a city spokesperson said. All of those issues were resolved.
In Burnaby, flooding forced road closures on Westminster Avenue between Still Creek Avenue and Regent Street, while Still Creek Avenue itself was shut down between Douglas Road and Westminster Avenue.
Burnaby Assistant Fire Chief Stewart Colbourne said drivers need to be cautious as pooling and flooding makes the roads treacherous.
“Slow down so you don’t lose control of your vehicle, give yourself some extra time, and leave yourself a little extra space between the vehicle in front of you,” he warned.
Other cities in the region like North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam and Surrey are urging residents to clean up storm drains themselves to avoid flooding in their areas.
The City of Vancouver is pointing residents to its Adopt a Catch Basin program online.
Southern Metro Vancouver received more than 30 millimetres between Saturday morning and midday Sunday, with surrounding areas in the northeast like Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows getting nearly 50 millimetres
On the North Shore, West Vancouver saw 69 millimetres of rain during the same time period, with Vancouver Harbour seeing a similar amount.
District of North Vancouver Coun. Jordan Black issued a warning on Twitter that creeks in the area are running high.
On Vancouver Island, Ucluelet saw an astounding 210 millimetres between Sunday morning and noon Sunday, while Tofino saw 167 millimetres.
The Sunshine Coast was also soaked, with Squamish seeing 70 millimetres.
The River Forecast Centre has issued high streamflow advisories for western Vancouver Island, as well as the entire mainland B.C. coast from Prince Rupert to Vancouver.