Flooding in parts of Lower Mainland after up to 140 mm of rain
Posted February 1, 2020 7:55 am.
Last Updated February 1, 2020 11:46 am.
PORT COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) — Some people are waking up to ponds in their backyards and on their streets after the Lower Mainland was hammered with non-stop rain Friday and overnight.
Up to 140 mm of rain came down in parts of the South Coast in 24 hours.
A listener sent us this picture of flooding in PoCo tonight. Roads are closed and the city is offering 24/7 access to sand for anyone who wants to fill sandbags to use to stem the tide. Stay tuned for the latest. pic.twitter.com/CSENHXaKku
— CityNews Vancouver (@CityNewsVAN) February 1, 2020
While a rainfall warning continued into Saturday morning, it has since ended for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
The worst of the rainfall came Friday night, with Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge among the cities bearing the brunt of the impact.
In Port Coquitlam, an emergency services centre was set up for people who didn’t feel comfortable with the amount of water surrounding their homes. Chief administrative officer Kristin Dixon says five neighbourhoods have been affected by rising water.
“We do have several that are not just attributable to creeks necessarily but just overwhelming amount of rainfall coming into our storm systems,” she told NEWS 1130 Friday night.
Shovels and sandbags were also being made available to people who wanted to protect their homes.
With heavy rainfall & the rains forecasted to continue, the City would like to help ensure homeowners are prepared for any potential flooding by providing access to sand at the back of the Public Works Yard 1737 Broadway St. Residents are invited to fill their own sand bags 24/7. pic.twitter.com/ydmAzcCEtt
— City of Port Coquitlam (@CityofPoCo) February 1, 2020
“We actually have five locations throughout Port Coquitlam, kind of major areas that are seeing some localized flooding,” Dixon said. “So, we do have a number of homes that are displaced.”
The storm has also led to creeks and storm drains overflowing.
Due to localized flooding some roads have been closed in the community. We remind citizens that they need to respect the barricades and road closures no matter what type of vehicle that they are driving. Updates have been posted on the City website and Facebook. pic.twitter.com/ezsGEYUD2c
— City of Maple Ridge (@YourMapleRidge) February 1, 2020
The city of Maple Ridge said Friday the flow rates for all local streams and rivers were extremely high. The city has also warned those living along the Alouette River to review their emergency preparedness in case of flooding.
Stay tuned to NEWS 1130 for weather updates every 10 minutes on the ones and follow meteorologists Michael Kuss and Russ Lacate for the latest.
