British Columbia officials say they’re prepared to make use of the Alert Ready emergency notification system as the province faces the second — and braces for the third — in a trio of intense rain storms.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth made the announcement Sunday, as officials gave an update on the flooding and landslides that have devastated southwestern B.C.
“This is historic weather intensified by climate change,” Farnworth said, adding that the next weather system expected to hit the South Coast Tuesday could be the “most intense” since the initial atmospheric river to hit B.C. on Nov. 14.
“Should a community or communities feel there is an imminent threat to life or public safety, the province stands ready to issue what we call a broadcast intrusive alert,” Farnworth said.
“Local governments are the experts on the ground and emergency managers at the local and provincial level will continue to closely coordinate.”
The province faced criticism for not using the alert system during the initial wave of slides and floods.
A trio of key highways connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of B.C. remained closed on Sunday, a day after they were shut down as a precaution due to the heavy weekend rains.
Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said there were no major slides or washouts, but that Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet, Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton and Highway 1 east of Chilliwack and in the Fraser Canyon had all seen minor rockfalls, slides or debris issues.
“Cleanup is underway, we have geotechnical engineers currently assessing when they can reopen,” Fleming said.
“Safety continues to be our top priority and if required, we will again preemptively close highways. If you need to be driving, I urge you to check DriveBC … and if you don’t need to be driving please don’t.”
By Sunday, the weekend storm had delivered between 35 and 60 mm of rain to most parts of B.C.’s South Coast, with upwards of 120 to 130 mm over the mountains and Vancouver Island, according to Ted White with the BC River Forecast Centre.
The centre had also observed another 30 mm of snow melt, he said.
The Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, southern Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, Sea to Sky region and Coldwater, Tulameen and Similkameen watersheds all remained under flood watches, while the centre added a new flood warning for the Coquihalla on Sunday.
“Rivers are rising rapidly throughout southwestern B.C., with dynamic conditions expected throughout Sunday,” White said.
Washington state’s Nooksack River — the source of concerns about new flooding in Abbotsford — also remained under a flood warning.
White said the threat would ease Sunday afternoon and overnight as rains tapered off, with a dry period expected Monday before what could be an “extreme storm” rolls in early next week.
“This system will bring significant flood risk to coastal areas, (the) Central Coast, South Coast and Vancouver Island on Tuesday and Wednesday,” White said.
“The cumulative impacts of successive storms is of concern,” added Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Armell Castellan.
The next system, he said, was expected to initially make landfall on B.C.’s Central Coast before moving south.
He said the scale of the danger depends on whether that storm moves through quickly or stalls over the already storm-battered South Coast.
“With that scenario, higher rain intensities are certainly possible,” he said.
“We, as well as the other agencies present here, urge maximum caution and vigilance as we go forward into the next few days.”
Ahead of that potential threat officials urged people to closely monitor weather forecasts and road conditions, and to obey all emergency alerts and orders.