METRO VANCOUVER – BC Hydro is warning residents across the province, and especially in the Fraser Valley, to put together 72-hour emergency kits in the wake of another rain and windstorm warning for overnight.
Some 28,737 customers across the province were without power this morning after heavy winds led to falling trees and branches on power lines, spokesman Dag Sharman said.
About 20,000 of those were in the Lower Mainland, particularly in the Fraser Valley, Coquitlam, Langley and Surrey. Most of the power has been restored.
But Sharman warns it’s not over.
"People should be prepared because most likely we’ll get more outages," he said.
Environment Canada warns that strong southerly winds up to 70 km/h will redevelop overnight and could be "potentially damaging." The winds are expected to ease Tuesday morning as the front moves inland.
More rain is also expected along B.C.’s south coast, with between 40 and 80 cm expected by Tuesday morning. The highest amounts are expected for over Howe Sound and the North Shore mountains.
In Courtenay on Vancouver Island, Mayor Greg Phelps has declared a local state of emergency to deal with flooding in some areas of the city due to high water levels in the Puntledge, Courtenay, Tsolum and Browns rivers. Several local roads and bridges have been closed, and the Maple Pool Campsite and some surrounding properties on Headquarters Road have been evacuated.
The River Forecast Centre has issued flood warnings for across Vancouver Island, noting rivers on southern Vancouver Island continue to rise.
It said the Englishman, Nanaimo, Chemainus, and Cowichan may generate higher concerns for flooding during high tide between 3 and 5 p.m. today.
A flood watch issued for portions of the South Coast is maintained, except for the Whistler to Pemberton.
The forecast centre noted Metro Vancouver’s North Shore has received moderate rainfall, with 50 to 100 mm recorded in the Coquitlam, Alouette and Stave river areas. The upper Coquitlam River gauge recorded 150 mm of rain over the past 24 hours – the largest measurement in the Lower Mainland.
Yet although the rivers are rising, they are well below levels of concern.
The rain dampened the enthusiasm of skiers on Grouse, which saw some of its snow melt overnight Sunday. Spokesman William Mbaho said Monday there was about 72 cm on the mountain and he expected another 10 cm to fall today with throughout the week.
In Whistler, which opened on Saturday, the snow continues to fall, with 150 cm expected by Friday.
Whistler spokeswoman Tabetha Boot said the month is shaping up to be the snowiest November on record for Whistler, which got 52 cm overnight, bringing the total snowfall to 264 cm since Nov. 1.
The freezing level is expected to drop to 1,000 metres, which is just above the valley. Another 70 cm is expected to fall throughout today and overnight.
"The operators are definitely trying to open as much as they can as quickly as they can," Boot said. "We’re certainly off to a phenomenal start."
In Langley, this morning’s storm knocked out power to schools in Aldergrove, Fort Langley and Walnut Grove.
"Very early this morning there were upwards of 11 schools without power," said school district spokesperson Craig Spence.
However, as the morning went on BC Hydro crews managed to get power back on to almost all of them.
Langley Secondary was closed at the start of the school day, and the Langley Education Centre was shut down for the morning.
In Victoria, heavy rains and wind were expected throughout the day today. By nightfall, a south wind could blow up to 60 kilometres an hour. Rain was also forecast for Nanaimo, Tofino, Campbell River, the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland.
With files from the Langley Advance
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