B.C. sees power outages, flooded roads as atmospheric river hits

An atmospheric river battering B.C. brought flooding, road closures, power outages and event cancellations in parts of the province on Saturday. 

Saturday was also the last voting day in the B.C. election, and some polling stations were temporarily closed due to power outages, although they later reopened.

The storm affected the South Coast and southern Interior, and social media was flooded with videos of water pooling on roads — at times the water level exceeding the height of car tires — and of streets being turned into rivers of muddy water and debris. 

Officials said that transportation challenges caused by the storm would likely be exacerbated by the increased number of people getting to and from voting. 

“This would be a good day to stay inside because of the weather, but we also understand that that’s not going to happen. It is voting day,” said Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison.

Drought has impacted resiliency

According to Environment Canada, 90-150 millimetres of rain are expected in Metro Vancouver, parts of the Fraser Valley, and the Sea-to-Sky corridor by Sunday, while rain on the North Shore could potentially exceed 180 millimetres. 

As of 12:30 p.m., more than 10,000 B.C. Hydro customers were without power. The company said it ramped up its availability of crews ahead of the storm. 

“Crews will continue to work throughout the day and into the evening and potentially overnight if there if there are outages,” spokesperson Mora Scott said.

Three years of consecutive drought have led to significantly weakened trees across the province, Scott said, and British Columbians are likely to see a lot of trees and branches fall on and disrupt power lines. 

Earlier in the day, the majority of Mayne Island, B.C., was without power, and a large portion of Saturna Island was also facing an outage. 

Voting polls on Hornby Island and Denman Island were affected by the weather, with Elections B.C. reporting that stations on both islands had been briefly closed due to power outages. 

A map and list of current power outages is available on the BC Hydro website, while the status of B.C. polling stations is available from Elections B.C.

Buses and highways affected

Vancouver’s Stanley Park Ghost Train cancelled rides on Saturday due to the rain, and there were numerous bus detours in Metro Vancouver due to pooling water on roads. TransLink announced detours on at least 12 routes across the region starting early Saturday morning.

Drivers across the province were affected by road flooding in various locations, with Drive B.C. reporting several crashes on Highway 1 in Surrey and Burnaby in the morning. In the afternoon, both the exit and entrance ramps to a section of Highway 1 in West Vancouver were closed. 

Those heading out in their vehicles can check Drive B.C. for the most up-to-date list of highway closures and conditions.

More to come.

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