Sonali Tiwary
British Columbia‘s South Coast is under full flood warnings after days of heavy rain, and there’s more on the way before the weekend is out.
The BC River Forecast Centre upgraded flood watches to full flood warnings this week for the Pemberton Valley, Howe Sound, the Sea-to-Sky corridor and the North Shore after rainfall topped 100 mm in parts of the region, part of a storm system bringing heavy rain to the hardest-hit areas. An evacuation order is in effect for parts of the Village of Zeballos on northwest Vancouver Island due to flooding with landslide risk, issued November 6. Power outages have affected thousands of BC Hydro customers, and the storm has produced dangerous flooding conditions across the South Coast and Vancouver Island.
If you live or commute along the South Coast, Pemberton Valley or Vancouver Island, prepare for continued river overflow, highway disruption and possible multi-day power outages through the weekend. Highway 99, Highway 1 and the Malahat all carry active travel advisories, and another incoming Pacific storm system is expected to bring additional strong winds, high surf and mountain snow by Saturday — so this isn’t a one-and-done storm.
What’s Changed and What’s Coming This Weekend
The jump from a standard watch to a full warning happened unusually fast, with rain intensifying across the Pemberton Valley over the course of a few days. Crews have faced access difficulties reaching storm-affected Zeballos by road, relying in part on alternate access while the evacuation order remains in effect. Eastern Vancouver Island rivers also face a secondary complication from high tides backing up river outflow at the coast.
Which areas of B.C. are under a flood warning right now?
As of this week, the BC River Forecast Centre has the Pemberton Valley and the South Coast — covering Howe Sound, the Sea-to-Sky corridor and the North Shore — under full flood warnings, while Vancouver Island remains under flood watch, with an evacuation order in effect for parts of Zeballos. Check the River Forecast Centre and EmergencyInfoBC for your specific area before traveling.
Watch for updates on Zeballos access and for the weekend storm system, which forecasters expect to bring another round of wind, waves and mountain snow.
