It was “so far, so good” after the first day of heavy wind and rains on the North Shore.
Staff at all three municipalities have been on high alert since Monday— the first in a three-day subtropical storm expected to deliver another 100 millimetres of rain by Wednesday night.
With crews on patrol checking problem areas all night, there was little damage to report on Tuesday, said Gavin Joyce, the District of North Vancouver’s manager of engineering, parks and facilities.
“The rivers are high and continue to rise. We had some localized ponding and pooling in streets and some minor plugged catch basins area but in essence, the night went without incident,” he said.
But staff are remaining vigilant, especially along the Seymour River. The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a flood watch warning for the North Shore and Howe Sound on Tuesday and staff are bracing for high tides in the morning by putting up sandbags along the low-lying areas of the river on Riverside Drive.
In early November, parts of Lynn Valley and Deep Cove flooded when 164 millimetres of rain fell over 24 hours, causing Kilmer Creek to swell above the road level.
As of now, there are not specific concerns about landslides, Joyce said, but staff will also be monitoring the amount of soil saturation.
Residents and business owners are being asked to help by checking the storm drains near their properties and clearing any leaves or debris that may be blocking them.
After-hours emergencies should be reported to the district by calling 604-990-3666.
Beyond the storm posing a risk of flooding, the North Shore’s creeks and rivers are expected to be especially dangerous.
“Please exercise extreme caution and keep yourself and your pets away from the water’s edge. We are expecting elevated water levels, swift moving currents and possible bank erosion,” a warning posted to the district website stated.
West Vancouver crews also staved off flooding by keeping drains clear overnight, but staff too are concerned about a possible king tide (an especially high tide) on Tuesday morning.
“Depending on the wind, we could have a situation similar to the one a couple weeks ago where we had to close the Seawalk,” said Jeff McDonald, West Vancouver spokesman. “It’s always something we’re monitoring and prepared to do if we have to do. When we do that, of course, we ask residents to respect those barricades. Sometimes they don’t.”
