Relentless rain in BC causes flooding and road chaos (PHOTOS)

An atmospheric river funnelled a huge amount of rain to BC’s South Coast this weekend, causing mudslides and flooding that have made travel treacherous.

“Folks don’t need to be out on the road. It’s a bit unpredictable,” Janelle State, deputy director South Coast region with the BC Ministry of Transportation, said during a news conference Monday morning.

Sides of mountainous highways gave way in several places, sending slides of mud and debris onto the road.

Hwy 7 new slide 5 kms west of hope. Poles, debri and hydro on highway. Not passable. @DriveBC #BCHwy7 pic.twitter.com/saRYh82HeE

— Lee Riggs (@LeeRiggs8) November 15, 2021

Up to 100 vehicles are trapped between two mudslides on Highway 7 near Aggasiz, and drivers had to spend the night in their cars.

An official in Merritt ordered a city-wide evacuation order due to significant flooding that caused its wastewater treatment plant to fail. Residents could not turn on the faucet or flush the toilet Monday morning, and doing so risked releasing backed-up sewage from the pipe.

 

Jared Thomas shared a video from his doorbell camera showing floodwater flowing past his front porch.

Video from the doorbell cam – we have one more step before the house is in trouble #MerrittBC #BCFlood #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/GCWTbW1vJK

— Jared Thomas (@BCHLJThomas) November 15, 2021

In the Fraser Valley, someone’s home got swept up by a rising river.

The weather sweeping someone’s dreams. Devastating 😢. #home #bcstorm #weather #BCFlood #BCHwy7 #BCHwy1 #FraserValley #bcpoli #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/TD7QjGgDEu

— Balpreet Singh Lovy Jhajj (@lovyjhajj) November 15, 2021

Roads were a mess in many other places too, with DriveBC reporting many highway closures.

A section of Highway 11 in Abbotsford ruptured, and police closed it for safety.

HIGHWAY 11 Road Closure – HWY 11 is currently closed North and Southbound between Old Clayburn Road & McCallum Road. Detours are in place. pic.twitter.com/KLfQ1NSBil

— Abbotsford Police Department (@AbbyPoliceDept) November 15, 2021

Chancellor Boulevard near UBC was underwater Monday.

Crazy flooding on chancellor blvd. entering and exiting UBC this morning! Knee-deep water and some cars trying to make it through. Looks like a stream in the park overflowed onto roadway. #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/xjbVVKlQia

— Jill Slattery (@JillSlattery) November 15, 2021

Over in Delta, more than a foot of water had submerged some cars in the parking lot of Planet Ice skating rink.

at planet ice delta this morning – parking lot is a mess. @GlobalBC @JanetBrown980 pic.twitter.com/70K9NYLjAG

— Kevin Gallant (@APatnotforever) November 15, 2021

A soccer field in Port Coquitlam was also looking more like a pond.

Never really seen this much water, underneath a grass soccer field. Cedar Drive Elementary in #Poco @CityofPoCo #bcstorm #BcFlood #flood pic.twitter.com/gtIYKRTHYa

— Cristobal Capponi (@criscapponi) November 15, 2021

And a manhole in Vancouver spouted water from the overflowing pipes below.

Here is one of the consequences of the rain storm. The foot of Angus Street. It’s been going like this for quite a while now!#raincouver #enough pic.twitter.com/xjnBPWxQJq

— Tricia Barker (@TriciaBarker49) November 15, 2021

You might also like:
• Flooding causes BC Highway 99 in Richmond to shut down
• More than 21,000 BC Hydro customers without power during storm
• Atmospheric river brought a month's rain to parts of BC over the weekend

Residents snapped pictures of flooding at their homes too, including Crescent Beach resident Lana Hudson.

 

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The rain is set to be followed by a dose of cold air and heavy winds, which could cause power outages across the region. Already, more than 21,000 BC Hydro customers have lost electricity.