Rain came down hard and fast last week – and “it’s not over yet,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan. Sunshine Coast roads have been drowning because of it.
Several roads on the lower Coast have been damaged by flooding and broken water mains or culverts linked to the higher-than-normal rainfall.
Russell Road in Elphinstone was worst hit, according to Tyler Lambert of Capilano Highways, with a washout between Henry and Burton Road digging “a big 10-foot chasm” into the road.
The road is no longer a through route, but is accessible from either end. Since residents still have access, crews have been upgrading and installing new culverts and Lambert anticipates reopening the road by Thursday, Dec. 20. “But that’s all dependent on the weather,” he said.
A similar washout occurred in 2014, and according to Lambert, “the old culvert just isn’t sufficient to handle the volumes that are coming down that creek now.”
“Significant damage” occurred at the on and off ramp at the Port Mellon Highway near the Langdale ferry terminal, including a toppled lamp standard and “pretty significant” flooding, said Lambert.
Crews have been at the site since the morning of Dec. 14 and have contained the water and kept the roadway open. An electrical contractor was also brought on scene and the lamp standard is expected to be re-installed next week, also weather dependent. “Everything needs to dry out a bit when you’re working with electricity underground, but it’s safe and functional. It’s just missing a lamppost,” said Lambert.
Damage also came to Reed Road, when a water main broke on Thursday Dec. 13, causing a partial road closure.
Lambert suspects the culvert was overwhelmed by the rain, which caused the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) water main to break. That also caused “significant damage to the road,” as well as a drop in water pressure in the affected area. The SCRD has since repaired the water main and the road is open.
Portions of roads in the Gibsons, Elphinstone and lower Roberts Creek also flooded, with major flooding on Lower Road at Camp Byng. “A giant rock came down off the bank” and blocked a pipe, which was responsible for road flooding near Camp Byng. A machine was used to remove the rock “and everything’s going just perfect,” said Lambert.
The trend of more washouts in the lower Coast is tied to rain patterns affecting the area. Gibsons received 96 millimetres from Sunday to Friday Dec. 14, or more than half the monthly average in just five days. The Mount Elphinstone station, which is at a higher elevation, saw 167 millimetres. The rain accumulation was less intense higher up the Coast, with Sechelt getting 58 millimetres and similar amounts in Pender Harbour.
That rain caused the B.C. River Forecast Centre to announce a high stream flow advisory, which was renewed on Friday, Dec. 14, the same day Environment Canada issued a wind warning for Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast. The stream flow advisory was ongoing as of Dec. 19, and another special weather statement was issued by Environment Canada, with anticipation of a storm to cause “both damaging winds and heavy rainfall,” with gusts of up to 90 kilometres by mid-morning Thursday.
“We’ve had this parade of storms,” said Armel Castellan, meteorologist for Environment Canada, adding that “hopefully” Thursday’s weather event would be “the last strong storm.”
“It’s a time of year when storms are strong and storms have been fairly incessant of late,” said Castellan of the 10-day string of storms that have blown through the Coast.
Friday is expected to be calmer and cooler, with more rain and wind likely on the weekend, though “not as strong as what we have seen,” he said. The projected end date of the turbulent weather is Christmas or Boxing Day.
As far as road repairs and cleanup go, Lambert said crews have been working with the Town of Gibsons and the SCRD to repair damage and take preventative measures, such as clearing culverts. As of Wednesday, Dec. 18, crews had resolved all flooding issues and repaired most damaged areas. They are anticipating stronger winds to create more damage, however, and are planning for it. “We’re hearing reports of up to 110 kilometre an hour gusts, which is usually a good sign that we’re going to have trees come down,” said Lambert on Wednesday. He also said crews will be keeping their eyes on Davis Bay as king tides wash through the area in the next week. “You need a unique combination of a high tide and a wind coming from the right direction, and that’s what causes flooding, so we keep a close eye on that.” BC Storm Surge, which analyzes tide patterns, expects water levels to be above the highest annual tides, with peaks expected for Christmas Eve.
A series of power outages have also hit the Coast.
The cost of the road damage has yet to be estimated.
Lambert encourages people to use shovels to keep the culverts on their property flowing as a preventive measure. People can call Capilano Highways at 1-800-665-3135 to report washouts, floods or emergencies.
