By Canadian Press

Atmospheric river system smashes daily rainfall records across B.C.’s south coast

Oct 20, 2024 | 11:41 AM

The atmospheric river weather system that lashed British Columbia’s coast on the day of the provincial election has sent daily rainfall records tumbling.

Environment Canada figures show new daily rainfall records were set Saturday in Victoria, Squamish, Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Nakusp and the Agassiz and Pitt Meadows areas.

West Vancouver saw 134.6 millimetres of rain, smashing the record of 34.8 millimetres set in 1970, and images posted to social media in the city on Saturday showed a surge of brown floodwater flowing down a sloping street.

Since Friday, Environment Canada says West Vancouver has seen a total of 177 millimetres of rain, with 150 millimetres falling in the Vancouver harbour area.

Rainfall warnings remain in effect for much of the south coast, with Environment Canada saying Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley could see an additional 20 to 40 millimetres before the rain is expected to ease later Sunday.

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B.C.’s River Forecast Centre is also maintaining flood warnings for the Coquitlam River in Metro Vancouver and waterways on southwestern Vancouver Island.

The BC Hydro outage map shows some 2,500 customers were without power across the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast after Saturday’s heavy rain and winds, along with about 570 customers on Vancouver island and 380 in the north.

A rainfall warning also covers parts of the West Kootenay and Columbia regions, including a stretch of the Trans Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2024.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press