Lower Mainland braces for more rain, possible flash floods

LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS 1130) – It’s already another wet day for most parts of the region.

You’ll want to prepare yourself before heading outdoors — a rainfall warning has been issued for much of Metro Vancouver and part of the Fraser Valley, with up to 90 millimetres of rain expected by Friday morning.

The storm system will continue to unload throughout the region through Thursday, and at times will get heavy.

But Environment Canada has also added a wind warning with gusts up to 70km/h forecast for Friday.
The storm is expected to hit coastal areas the hardest.

There are fears there will be a repeat of Wednesday’s flooding on highways and local roads, according to David Phillips with Environment Canada.

He says it’s all because of the asphalt blocking nature’s draining system.

“What we need to do is value our green space. We think progress is turning wetlands into skyscrapers or buildings, and no. Nature’s the way it’s protected us from heavy rains in the past.”

The City of Vancouver has activated its departmental operations centre to deal with flooding.

The rain is likely to blame for a rock slide on Highway 99 near Horseshoe Bay, which has now been cleared. Even transit commuters weren’t immune, with flooding briefly shutting down a stretch of the SkyTrain’s Expo Line on Tuesday between Surrey and New Westminster.

Jen Coles in the NEWS 1130 Traffic Centre tells us the heavy rain is causing some problems and creating a busier than usual morning commute.

“I can see that through the day we’ll start to see the accumulation of water along highways that we might not normally see,” she says. “Of course in Burnaby, we’ve got Still Creek Drive blocked, which is a typical closure, but these not so typical ones include the 91A to the Queensborough Bridge and traffic towards the Alex Fraser as well.”

The Columbia Tunnel in New Westminster has so far avoided flooding, two days after heavy rain led to SkyTrain service being shut down at Columbia Station. But TransLink says staff and pumps are there and ready if anything changes.

Tuesday’s deluge had Columbia Station out of commission for part of the afternoon.

Meantime, a snowfall warning is still in effect for the Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt.

Up to 15 centimetres of snow is expected.

Forecasters warn of accumulating snow over the highway, with more expected to continue covering the route.

The snow, however, is expected to change to rain over much of that stretch through parts of the afternoon, with a warm front forecast for the Hope to Merritt stretch. The snow returns Thursday evening.

You’re being reminded to drive for the conditions, as well as make sure you have the proper tires.

-With files from Alison Bailey

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