More than 250 mm of rain forecast for some B.C. areas as storm makes landfall
Number of storms led to thousands of people to lose power over weekend, with flood watches in place
A number of flood watches cover southwest B.C. as another storm system is set to impact the area on Tuesday, with forecasters predicting more than 250 millimetres of rain in some areas.
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forecasters → forecast → areas
Thousands of British Columbians were battered by storms over the weekend, leading to numerous areas without power for multiple days as trees fell onto cars and power lines.
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trees → batter → cars
Though there was a slight reprieve in the rain for some areas on Monday, forecasters say they expect more rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, with more than 250 millimetres of rain possible locally, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
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millimetres → be → Canada
"A very robust frontal system is set to make landfall on Vancouver Island very early Tuesday morning.
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system → set → Island
Rain, heavy at times, will persist until Wednesday morning," reads an orange rainfall warning issued Monday for the west and central portions of the island.
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warning → persist → island
"Even though the heaviest rain eases by Wednesday morning, moderate precipitation is expected to continue until Thursday morning."
Impact of Prince George windstorm still being felt, homeowners face long waits to get trees removed
Driver dead after tree hits car in Surrey as 2nd windstorm batters B.C.
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windstorm → ease → B.C.
In addition to the orange warning — which indicates widespread impacts — for much of Vancouver Island, yellow weather warnings are in place for Metro Vancouver's North Shore, Whistler and the Sunshine Coast.
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warnings → indicate → Shore
ECCC is predicting 150 to 200 millimetres of rain for west and central Vancouver Island, and up to 120 millimetres of rain on the North Shore.
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ECCC → predict → Shore
The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued flood watches for the South Coast, Vancouver Island and river basins in the Central Coast and Fraser Valley.
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Centre → issue → Coast
In the flood watch, the centre said that temperatures would be warm through Wednesday, which could mean snowmelt from shallow snowpacks at higher elevations.
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which → say → elevations
"Heavy rain and high streamflow bring increased risk for unstable banks, river erosion, submerged roads, swift water hazards, flooding and landslides," the flood watch states.
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watch → bring → banks
"Stay clear of the banks of swift running rivers and never drive across flooded roads, bridges or river crossings."
Power outages
As of Monday night, thousands of B.C. Hydro customers — especially in the Central Interior and northern Vancouver Island — remained without power after the weekend storms.
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thousands → stay → storms
The utility said that restoration efforts were continuing, even as it monitored the additional weather systems expected to move through B.C. in the coming days.
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it → say → days
"Access remains a challenge in some areas, with fallen trees, debris and soft ground conditions slowing repair efforts," it said in a social media post.
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it → remain → post
An orange rainfall warning is also in place for the Sea-to-Sky Highway, with ECCC saying up to 160 millimetres of rain is possible along the stretch and in the Howe Sound area.
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millimetres → say → area
A statement from the Road Safety at Work initiative recommended drivers check DriveBC for the latest updates and be prepared to drive for the conditions.
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drivers → recommend → conditions
"You may not be able to see as far ahead, your tires have less grip, and you need more time and distance to stop safely," Trace Acres, a spokesperson for the initiative, said.
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Acres → see → initiative
In Vancouver, police say a 78-year-old woman died after being hit by a car on Friday, around 11 a.m. PT at the intersection of Dunbar Street and West 34th Avenue.
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woman → say → Street
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said she was crossing the street on an unmarked crosswalk when she was hit by a Lexus sedan, whose driver is co-operating with investigators.
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driver → say → investigators
The department is advising pedestrians to make themselves visible, and drivers to take extra care, as the clocks not turning back means longer hours of darkness this year.
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turning → advise → darkness
"We're finding that as the evenings get longer ... poor weather really reduces the visibility out there," Sgt. Adam Donaldson said.
"
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Donaldson → find → visibility
For pedestrians and anybody on two wheels, it's very difficult to see in the rain and in the dark."
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it → see → dark
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