Coquitlam mudslide knocks out power as heaviest rainfall expected on parts of B.C.’s South Coast

A mudslide in Coquitlam knocked out power for about 5,000 customers on Thursday as heavy rain pounded coastal B.C.

The emergency response began before 5:45 a.m. PT Thursday after a report of a mudslide in the 1900 block of Pipeline Road, north of the Upper Coquitlam River Park, according to RCMP.

Coquitlam Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Young said four homes and two industrial properties were affected, and there are currently no reports of injuries.

B.C. Hydro said the slide brought down power lines, which caused an outage to about 5,000 customers.

Service was largely restored, with about 20 customers without power as of 10:30 a.m. PT.

Officials are asking the public to avoid the area until further notice.

Coquitlam SAR said on social media that crews rescued eight people, two dogs and a cat from the area on Thursday.

The heavy rain in the Tri-Cities area forced the temporary suspension of West Coast Express service on Thursday afternoon, according to TransLink.

The track issue at Maple Ridge’s Port Haney station led to an advisory for commuters to take the SkyTrain to Coquitlam Central station, following which buses would service the rest of the commuter rail route to the Fraser Valley.

Rainy forecast

In a week of wet weather, the heaviest rains still have not fallen, according to Environment Canada.

The federal agency says the heaviest rainfall from the “prolonged atmospheric river event” in parts of Metro Vancouver, the Sea-to-Sky region and western Vancouver Island is expected Thursday night into Friday morning.

Those regions, including the North Shore, Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, as well as Howe Sound, Whistler, Pemberton and the Sea-to-Sky Highway, will see prolonged heavy rain, according to Environment Canada.

In areas with snow, the added rain could lead to the potential for flooding.

“Heavy rain will begin to taper off midday Friday as a cold front sweeps across the Lower Mainland,” Environment Canada said in its rainfall warning.

The agency warned that water will likely pool on roads and in low-lying areas, and some travel delays are possible.

“Landslides may occur in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes, deforested areas or recent burn scars.”

Parts of Metro Vancouver could get up to 130 millimetres of rain by Friday, while the Sea-to-Sky region is expected to get up to 75 mm.

Western Vancouver Island, including Port Renfrew, Bamfield and Jordan River, could get up to 120 mm of rain by Friday.

WATCH | Heavy rain in North Vancouver:

Heavy rain causes river surges along North Vancouver waterway

Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for several areas of B.C.’s coast amid a prolonged atmospheric river event. CBC’s Johanna Wagstaffe visited Lynn Creek where river surges are hitting the shoreline in strong waves.

The Fraser Valley could also see up to 120 mm of rain by Friday.

Two evacuation orders, covering just under 40 properties in total, were issued Thursday evening for properties in the Chilliwack area.

The alerts mean that residents of those properties, in the Wilson Road and Sheldon Road areas of the Fraser Valley Regional District, should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Flood watch advisories have been issued for parts of the South Coast, meaning river levels are rising and flooding of areas near affected rivers could occur, according to the province’s River Forecast Centre.

Evacuation orders for Central Coast hamlet

A new evacuation order has been issued for a part of a small community on B.C.’s Central Coast as rain there increases the risk of landslides.

The Central Coast Regional District issued the order for part of Ocean Falls on Wednesday, “following significant flooding and heightened landslide risk,” instructing residents in the area to leave immediately.

There is also an existing evacuation order for the nearby hamlet of Martin Valley, two kilometres away from Ocean Falls, as well as an evacuation alert, which means residents must be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Evacuees can request support at the Old Bank Inn in Ocean Falls.

The remote coastal area is home to about 50 permanent residents, according to the regional district.

It’s located about 35 kilometres northeast of Bella Bella and is primarily accessible by boat or air.

The area above Martin Valley has a history of landslides, the regional district said in a news release, including ones in 1965, 2015 and 2025.

Amber Minch, the corporate officer for the Ocean Falls Improvement District, said residents were rallying to set up sandbags and help others in the small community.

She said the area, largely comprised of seniors, had seen a number of families with children move in the last five and a half years — and they now face uncertainty, given the damage that the storm has caused.

The Ocean Falls resident described windows breaking and debris everywhere, and the next steps after the storm had passed were unknown in the landslide-prone community.

“I’m interested to hear what’s going to happen if we’re allowed to stay in our homes, if they’re going to deem it unsafe. I think that’s where we’re at right now,” she told CBC News.