Image: City of Maple Ridge / Crews in Maple Ridge closed off several streets amid flooding on Oct. 19, 2024 after the B.C.'s South Coast was hit by atmospheric river.

By Don Mitchell

Flood Warnings

Flood warnings issued for parts of BC’s South Coast amid closed roads, power outages

Oct 19, 2024 | 5:46 PM

VICTORIA – B.C.’s River Forecast Centre upgraded several flood watches to warnings Saturday after some areas on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland were pummelled by an atmospheric river.

Affected areas included in the warnings were rivers around Tofino, Bamfield, Port Renfrew, and Coquitlam.

⚠️Storm Update – October 19, 3 p.m.

The storm that hit Coquitlam yesterday has brought significant rainfall across the city, resulting in several areas experiencing flooding, including:

— City of Coquitlam (@cityofcoquitlam) October 19, 2024

Flood watches remain in place for Lower Fraser tributaries, including the Lillooet River and rivers around Pemberton, Metro-Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and Fraser Valley.

Around noon, B.C. Hydro customers reported that some 10,000 were without power in the Lower Mainland, including about 4,000 on the southeast side of Maple Ridge near the Fraser River.

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We’re aware of outages affecting 4,659 customers in #MapleRidge. Visit our mobile site for updates: https://t.co/BEURVikgjM pic.twitter.com/ieNkjDJY2Z

— BC Hydro (@bchydro) October 19, 2024

City crews also closed off several roads in the area due to flooding, including parts of the Lougheed Highway, 224th Street, 232nd Street, and Lockwood Street.

🚧 ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE 🚧

224 St: (132 to 136 Ave)
Lockwood St: (109 to 112 Ave)
232 St: Crews onsite (Foreman Dr & Anderson Creek Dr)
Lougheed Hwy: WB (St. Anthony’s Way & 287 St)
⚠️ DO NOT drive thru barricaded areas. Use alternative routes. Stay safe!#MapleRidge #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/4KGR4W6EGu

— City of Maple Ridge (@YourMapleRidge) October 19, 2024

In Port Coquitlam, city crews battled clogged drainage systems affecting roads.

Staff set up an emergency reception area at the city’s community centre and encouraged residents displaced by flooding to check in, if necessary.

In a social media post, city officials said several roads and trails were closed due to flood concerns.

They also asked residents to avoid the area of Coast Meridian Road and Prairie Avenue.

The #BC River Forecast Centre has UPGRADED the Flood Watch to a Flood Warning for the #Coquitlam River. Stay clear of these fast-flowing rivers & potentially unstable riverbanks. More info: https://t.co/VoNY4i9htI #BCFlood pic.twitter.com/AiZSGCWsUo

— Emergency Info BC (@EmergencyInfoBC) October 19, 2024

RCMP also closed Quarry Road between Calgary Drive and MacIntyre Road in Coquitlam due to a mudslide.

Coquitlam RCMP are advising the public of a mudslide that has closed Quarry Road between Calgary Drive and MacIntyre Road in Coquitlam.

To learn more, visit: https://t.co/rhf04my9OM#BCStorm #Coquitlam #Mudslide #SafetyAlert pic.twitter.com/z3deHJ1X45

— Coquitlam RCMP (@cqrcmp) October 20, 2024

The River Forecast Centre reported the hardest-hit areas as West Vancouver Island, which had between 70 and 280 mm of rain, while areas around Howe Sound and the North Shore Mountains saw between 50 mm and 140 mm.

“On-going hazards for high flows and potential flooding are expected to persist on Saturday and into Sunday,” the agency said in an update Saturday afternoon.

Officials continue to urge residents to avoid non-essential travel and exercise extreme caution when on roads.

Up to 40 mm of rain was still forecast for most regions on the South Coast before tapering off on Sunday afternoon.