A flood warning on Metro Vancouver’s North Shore has ended, but a wider flood watch remains in place for the entire South Coast, with flood warnings in place in the Fraser Valley. The flood warning for the North Shore came as rain began falling again across parts of southwestern B.C. Tuesday morning — with forecasters warning it could turn heavy later in the day. The B.C. River Forecast Centre ended the warning in the early afternoon, though rainfall warnings from Environment and Climate Change Canada remained in place, calling for 50 to 70 millimetres from Tuesday morning into the evening. The agency says periods of rain are expected to become heavy at times in the late afternoon with the arrival of a Pacific frontal system, before tapering to showers overnight. Seymour River running high Along the Seymour River, District of North Vancouver officials say the water was near the top of its banks Tuesday morning. Peter Cohen, the District of North Vancouver’s general manager of engineering infrastructure services, said crews are watching conditions closely. “Our crews are all out in the field so that we can quickly respond if things do arise, whether it be today or tomorrow,” he said. Rainfall warning: Pooling water, traffic impacts and landslide risk Environment Canada’s rainfall warning for the North Shore notes water will likely pool on roads and in low-lying areas, and says there may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic. The agency also warns local power outages are possible, and that landslides may occur in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes, deforested areas or recent burn scars. Flood warning in place for North Shore Mountains The B.C. River Forecast Centre maintained a flood warning for the North Shore Mountains Tuesday morning, as a series of atmospheric rivers continued to impact the province. In its bulletin issued Monday morning, the River Forecast Centre said active weather over the next seven to 10 days is expected to create a prolonged period of heightened flood hazard along the B.C. coast, with heavy rain and high streamflow increasing the risk of unstable banks, river erosion, submerged roads, swift water hazards, flooding and landslides. The bulletin also notes that the Seymour River below Orchid Creek reached 207 m³/s — described as between 50-year and 100-year flow. By 1 p.m., the warning had been lifted, though a flood watch remained in place across the South Coast and the Lower Fraser River and its tributaries. “Peaks are not expected to be high as yesterday’s flows with less precipitation and cooler temperatures, but such wet antecedent conditions add uncertainty to how high rivers will rise,” the centre’s afternoon update reads. Wind expected overnight Environment Canada has also issued a special weather statement about strong southwesterly wind gusts expected near midnight into early Wednesday morning across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. The agency says those winds could lead to possible tree damage, local power outages and travel delays, before easing early Wednesday as the front tracks inland. Strong winds also caused thousands of power outages across the province on Monday. Safety reminders from officials The River Forecast Centre is urging people to stay clear of the banks of swift-running rivers and never drive across flooded roads, bridges or river crossings. It also notes that at this time of year, leaves can clog storm drains and impact urban drainage, and encourages residents to keep storm drains clear. Environment Canada says people should continue monitoring alerts and forecasts as conditions evolve.
