Storms Sweep Across Southwestern B.C.

Tommy Kuo, Staff Writer|October 15, 2016

A tree in Downtown Vancouver was uprooted by the storm on Friday. (Anita Bathe, CBC News)

Highest wind so far: 81km/h over Juan de Fuca. Strongest winds gusting to 100km/h expected b/t 5pm & midnight #BCstorm pic.twitter.com/9zYJ76uQmI

— EC_BCweather (@EC_BCweather) October 15, 2016

REMINDER: Stanley Park is now closed. #BCstorm https://t.co/oA4WZzaIde

— Kendra Mangione (@kendramangione) October 16, 2016

Storms that bring “heavy showers and very strong winds” are affecting Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, including Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, and the Sunshine Coast, according to Environment Canada.

Given the possibility of the arrival of gusts up to 100 km/h, Environmental Canada issued a Wind Warning which stated that “loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.” A Rainfall Warning was also issued to remind people that “heavy downpours are a certainty, along with a risk of thunderstorms”, and that “heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads.” 100 mm of rainfall was expected in Metro Vancouver.

The inclement weather conditions over the past few days were contributed by three storms in a row. The first arrived in Wednesday on Vancouver Island, causing power outages and damages to thousands of households. The second storm arrived at Thursday night. The third one, and the most powerful one, came this afternoon and brought with it the moisture of Typhoon Songda.

B.C. Ferries cancelled its southerly trips this evening. Skytrain service, however, remains unaffected. In Vancouver, Stanley Park and P.N.E. were closed, while homeless shelters are available to those unprotected from the storms.

Casualties also ensued. A fatal traffic accident on Barnet Highway was allegedly caused by the storm. In Surrey, a sixteen-year-old student was killed by a wind-fallen tree.

Here is a message from Environment Canada: “Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to [email protected] or tweet reports to #BCStorm.”