Highways closed, thousands without power as winds batter B.C.’s South Coast

Environment Canada has issued multiple weather warnings throughout B.C. for the weekend, including along the South Coast, where multiple stretches of highway were closed due to fallen trees and high winds. 

The province’s driver information service, DriveBC, said the Sea to Sky Highway, or Highway 99, was closed in both directions due to a landslide at Brunswick Beach just north of Lions Bay just after 10:30 a.m. PT on Saturday.

Squamish RCMP said in a statement that the highway isn’t expected to reopen until midnight, and no detours were available.

“Emergency crews are actively trying to confirm property damage and if anyone was injured,” Mounties said in a statement just before 12:45 p.m. PT. “At this time, no one has been reported as being injured.”

A spokesperson for the Lions Bay search-and-rescue team said it had deployed rescue teams and a helicopter to the area.

Highway 3B was closed near Rossland in B.C.’s Southern Interior due to a downed tree north of Highway 22. The latest updates on highway closures can be found on DriveBC.

DriveBC said Saturday morning that a fallen tree had blocked off the Stanley Park Causeway in Vancouver just before the Lions Gate Bridge, and motorists were told to expect delays. The closure was eventually resolved.

Ferry cancellations

B.C. Ferries pre-emptively cancelled numerous Saturday sailings due to the weather conditions, with a windstorm and coastal flooding warnings in place. 

The warnings include advisories about high winds, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding near the water, as well as snowfall further inland.

As of Friday evening, B.C. Ferries had cancelled nearly all Saturday morning sailings on all routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland, citing the severe weather warnings. Those included ferries between Vancouver and Victoria and Vancouver and Nanaimo.

Sailings for later in the morning and early afternoon on those major routes were also at risk of cancellation, according to the ferry service. The most up-to-date information is available on the B.C. Ferries service notices page.

Saturday morning sailings to and from many of the Southern Gulf Islands, Northern Gulf Islands, and on the Sunshine Coast were also either cancelled or at risk of cancellation.

Power outages

The high winds have also led to power outages throughout B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. More than 240,000 B.C. Hydro customers lost power since the storm began, and the utility said that around 196,000 customers remained without power as of 1 p.m. PT.

The vast majority of those without power lived in the Metro Vancouver suburbs, including Surrey, Burnaby, Langley and Port Coquitlam.

B.C. Hydro said in an update Saturday morning that some customers may be without power for much of the day in Vancouver Island’s north.

“Crews have found fallen trees that have damaged multiple structures and brought down at least seven spans of line,” the utility said in an update for the region. “Supplies, equipment and additional contractor crews have been dispatched.”

The latest windstorm comes a little under a month after a “bomb cyclone” brought hurricane-level wind gusts to parts of the South Coast and left up to 300,000 B.C. Hydro customers without power.

Wind and rain

The ferry cancellations and power outages are thanks in part to a low pressure system bringing strong winds to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. 

Wind gusts from the southeast are forecasted to reach up to 100 km/h on Saturday, according to Environment Canada, and meteorologists are warning of possible power outages and damage to buildings.

People driving vehicles in the impacted areas should be prepared for difficult driving conditions, especially those in tall vans and trucks, which are at a higher risk from cross winds while in motion.

A rainfall warning has also been issued for East Vancouver Island from Courtenay to Campbell River, where Environment Canada said to expect 50 to 70 millimetres of rain, including heavy downpours and flash floods.

Flooding

Those living in coastal areas around Greater Victoria and up Vancouver Island’s west coast to the northern tip are being warned of possible flooding midday Saturday at high tide. 

High ocean water levels accompanied by strong winds and big waves could flood these coastal areas, meteorologists say. Environment Canada says the tide and waves are likely to exceed the highest of regular tides.

People should stay away from beaches and the ocean, even in inlet areas, warns the weather agency. Buildings in those areas, especially those that are low-lying, are at risk of flooding, it says.

Snow

Environment Canada is also warning of significant snowfall on inland mountain highways in both southern and northern B.C.

Specifically, it says to expect 15 to 20 centimetres of snow accumulating overnight Saturday on Highway 3 from Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass.

Further north, up to 15 centimetres is forecasted along Highway 97 between Williston and Pine Pass and the surrounding area.