Night shift workers at Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (HSPP) found themselves trapped Wednesday morning after an evening storm with high winds and heavy rain washed out two sections of the only road between Port Mellon and Langdale.
Winds of up to 80 km/hr were reported for the Sunshine Coast and surrounding area and an estimated 50 mm of rain fell Tuesday night (Oct. 21).
The storm caused wood and debris to come down both Dakota Creek and Bear Creek, plugging the culverts, which sent the water rushing against the roadway.
The force of the water from Dakota Creek (about one km from HSPP) caused the entire road to open up and one vehicle drove into the void, however no injuries were reported, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI).
The section of roadway at Bear Creek was undermined, but the road was driveable, according to residents who contacted Coast Reporter.
With no other access road to HSPP about 50 night shift workers were stranded at the mill after their 12-hour shift ended Wednesday morning, worker Andrew Appleton said, adding that management at HSPP took good care of them while trying to find a way to get everyone home.
“They fed us eggs and bacon and all that and they were really accommodating. They made it as comfortable as possible,” Appleton said.
On Wednesday morning at around 10 a.m. night shift workers at HSPP were being taken by water taxi to Langdale where day shift workers were also being picked up according to on-line posts to Facebook.
By 3 p.m. Wednesday MOTI was reporting on the Drive BC website that the road was reopened for single-lane, alternating traffic thanks to a detour that had been established.
A full repair was expected to take three to four days depending on the weather conditions.