Following the recent atmospheric river that struck B.C.’s south coast, Metro Vancouver’s North Shore is now facing another round of heavy rain. Early on Monday, utility and highway crews sprung into action to address potential landslides along the Sea to Sky Highway and a significant power outage in North and West Vancouver.
By 7 a.m. Monday, more than 15,000 homes and businesses in the affected areas were left without power due to a transmission circuit failure late Sunday night. BC Hydro was working to restore power, with some neighborhoods estimated to have power back by 11 a.m. Monday.
The Ministry of Transportation is closely monitoring the Sea to Sky Highway for any signs of rockfalls or landslides, particularly in areas where rain is hitting snowpack. While the rainfall levels along the highway are elevated, authorities are not anticipating a major risk at this time. Enhanced patrols are in place to spot any potential hazards.
Highway 99 has seen proactive measures by the Ministry to prevent issues. Drainage systems are being cleared to ensure water flows as intended, reducing the chance of new paths forming during heavy rain.
Currently, the only major concern on Highway 99 is a precautionary closure further north from Mount Currie to Lillooet due to the potential for rockfalls, debris flows, and washouts caused by heavy rainfall overnight. DriveBC has also issued warnings for Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon and alerts for Highway 99 from Squamish to Whistler, Highway 5 from Hope to Merritt, and Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton.