B.C. braces for more rain following devastating torrential storm in past week

As more critical highway corridors were opened Saturday to limited traffic following damage from torrential rains and high winds, communities are being told to brace for more rain expected to hit southwestern B.C. beginning as early as Sunday.

Environment Canada has issued a winter storm advisory for the North Coast, with a forecast for heavy precipitation and wind. The storm is forecast to turn south Sunday, and reach areas heavily impacted by the previous storm in the Fraser Valley.

“Given the vulnerabilities, the existing conditions on the ground, Environment Canada is looking at issuing an advisory for (the Fraser Valley) area,” warned B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, who said he has been in discussions with Environment Canada.

“I urge people to pay close attention to weather warnings given the unpredictability that comes with climate change,” he said at a briefing Saturday.

The catastrophic atmospheric river that hit southwestern B.C. and part of the Interior last week displaced as many as 17,000 people, caused landslides that cut off critical traffic routes, created devastating floods in places like Abbotsford and Merritt, and has resulted in at least four deaths.

An atmospheric river is a high-intensity, short duration rainfall event, an event scientists forecast to become more frequent as a result of climate change.

Farnworth said that, normally, the 20-to-40 millimetres of rain forecast to hit southern coastal B.C. wouldn’t be a concern, but given the existing conditions and ground saturation it must be watched closely.

Asked if there were any additional preparation that were being made because of the rain forecast, Farnworth said because there are already so many people on the ground, for example, working to repair a failed dike in Abbotsford, the key will be communication and keeping apprised of up-to-date weather forecasts.