EXTREME WEATHER: Powerful Windstorm Hits British Columbia - Knocks Out Power, Cancels Ferries And Closes Schools!

A BC Hydro crew repairs a downed power line on Thursday morning in Metro Vancouver. (GP Mendoza/CBC)

March 10, 2016 - BRITISH COLUMBIA - Powerful winds downed trees and power lines, closed schools and forced BC Ferries to cancel several sailings along the South Coast of B.C. on Thursday morning.

At 10 a.m. PT BC Hydro was reporting about 110,000 customers on the Lower Mainland, including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Sunshine Coast were without power.

More than 10,000 customers were also without power on Vancouver Island during the height of the storm.

BC Hydro was reporting about 110,000 customers were without power on Thursday morning. (BC Hydro/Google Maps)

The power outages also knocked out power to several traffic lights, creating delays for morning commuters. Check with @CBCTraffic on Twitter for updates.

The winds began Wednesday night and appeared to have subsided by Thursday morning. But then a new wind warning issued at 6 a.m. PT said strong southerly winds with gusts up to 90 km/h were occurring over much of Metro Vancouver and the Western Fraser Valley this morning.

Exposed coastal sections of East Vancouver Island, the Southern Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast were also seeing southeast winds of 60 to 80 km/h as a deep low pressure centre moved north of Vancouver Island, according to Environment Canada.

Still seeing a lot of power outages and debris/trees blocking traffic. Please be very careful this morning! #CBC

— CBC Vancouver (@CBCTraffic) March 10, 2016

Be safe out there this morning, still several warnings in place for the passing #BCstorm https://t.co/9EJTt2zawK pic.twitter.com/iuA0lenwI7

— EC_BCweather (@EC_BCweather) March 10, 2016

Winds are expected to ease to southwest 40 gusting to 60 km/h later this morning.

DriveBC was reporting Highway 101 on the Sunshine Coast was closed by a fallen tree near Mercer Road at 8 a.m. A tree was also reported to be down on Highway 1 near 208 Street in Surrey.

#BCHwy1 EB Tree down after 208th St in Right Lane. @MainroadLM is on route. Drive Safely. pic.twitter.com/bMsvWz53UR

— Lower Mainland Dist. (@TranBC_LMD) March 10, 2016

BC Ferries was also reporting that the wind was delaying the departure of some sailings on the Duke Point-Tsawwassen route on Thursday morning.

#BCFHeadsUp#QuadraIsland - #CortesIsland vessel cancelled first round trip due to weather
7:50 xCortes CANCELLED
9:05 xQuadra CANCELLED ^dg

— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) March 10, 2016

Sailings on several shorter routes, including the Powell River-Comox and Campbell River-Quadra Island routes, were also cancelled because of the wind, early Thursday morning.

Harbour Air was reporting that some float plane traffic was affected by the winds.

Select routes are being affected by wind this morning. Pls check https://t.co/xANpvtlKpM for your up to date flight status

— Harbour Air Seaplane (@HarbourAirLtd) March 10, 2016

School closures
The power outages have also cancelled classes at some schools, including some in Coquitlam, Surrey, Mission and Abbotsford and one in West Vancouver.

Parents are advised to check their district websites for more details.

In Surrey the closed schools included:

• Elgin Park Secondary
• Clayton Heights Secondary
• Fraser Heights Secondary
• Hazelgrove Elementary
• Bothwell Elementary
• Pacific Heights Elementary
• Chantrell Creek Elementary
• Prince Charles Elementary
• Royal Heights Elementary
• East Kensington Elementary
• Coast Meridian Elementary

There are some other Surrey schools without power, but remain open, said a statement from the district.
In Abbotsford the following schools are closed for the day:

• Ten Broeck Elementary
• Clearbrook Elementary
• Dr. R.Bondar Elementary
• South Poplar Elementary.
• King Elementary is also now closed; parents asked to come and pick up children if possible.

In Mission the following schools were closed:

• Hillside Elementary School
• Hatzic Elementary School
• Hatzic Middle School
• Riverside Technical College

The Coquitlam School District website said, "Power is currently out at some schools in the Mary Hill and North Port Coquitlam/Victoria Drive region.  We currently do not have an estimated time for the return of power.  All parents should ensure the care and safety of their children in getting them to school.

"All SD43 schools are open today and starting classes at regularly scheduled times until further specific school closure updates are made. As always, it is at the discretion of parents as to whether they send their children to school."

All #SD43 schools are open today and starting classes at regularly scheduled times until further specific school closure updates are made.

— School District 43 (@sd43bc) March 10, 2016

Collingwood School in West Vancouver was reporting that its Wentworth Campus would be closed until the power is restored. The Morven campus was operating normally.

High watersThe municipality of Delta reported localized flooding in the Boundary Bay Spruce Grove waterfront areas, where the tide was expected to peak around 6:16 a.m. PT.

#DeltaBC crews are assisting residents w/ sandbags & pumps in flooded areas. Water going over wall in #Tsawwassen: pic.twitter.com/aJlYTj3MHw

— Corporation of Delta (@CorpDelta) March 10, 2016

The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued a High Streamflow Advisory for Central Vancouver Island including the Somass River and smaller tributaries in the region. - CBC.

MONUMENTAL DELUGE: Floodlist – The Latest Reports Of High Tides, Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods, Widespread Flooding, Sea Level Rise, And Catastrophic Storms!

Floods in Eyrieux, Ardèche, France, November 2014. Photo Meteo Europe

November 6, 2014 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.

Flooding in France and Italy After 163 mm of Rain in 24 Hours

Severe weather has swept across parts of southern and central Europe over the last 3 days. Some of the worst was seen in France and Italy, which have both been badly affected by major flooding since 04 November 2014.

France

In a 24 hour period between 03 and 4 November, 163 mm of rain fell in Nice and 95 mm in Dijon (WMO figures). One woman was killed in a mud slide, roads were flooded, over 10,000 homes suffered power cuts and numerous rivers burst their banks.

Heavy rainfall was seen across central and south-eastern France, resulting in major flooding in the region of Burgundy. Flooding also affected parts of the Cévennes area, in particular the Ardèche. Floods and landslides also hit parts of Alpes-Maritimes department where one person died in a landslide in the village of Saint Blaise. Dozens were evacuated from their homes in Lamotte-du-Rhône, near Avignon, where 2 campsites also had to be evacuated.

Gros dégâts suite aux intempéries dans le sud comme ici à #Cannes ! #meteo pic.twitter.com/MTo0AJzpPw
— Eytan Bendennoune (@eytan_b) November 5, 2014

The heavy rain has continued to fall. Nice saw a further 87 mm of rain in 24 hours between 04 and 05 November. Nearly 100 mm fell in the same period in Montélimar in the Rhône-Alpes region.

The weather has been so severe that a 25 metre tug boat ran aground on the beach in Cannes, near to the famous Carlton hotel after a storm on Tuesday 04 November 2014.

WATCH: Floods in France.

Italy

Italy is no stranger to floods during the month of November. The recent heavy rainfall caused floods in the regions of Liguria and Tuscany. Over 60 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 04 and 05 November in Genoa, which is still recovering from the disastrous floods that struck the city last month.

In Tuscany 2 people initially feared dead were found after being reported missing in the floods in the town of Carrara. They had been swept away by the swollen Carrione river. Five other people in the area had to be airlifted to safety after becoming trapped by flood water.

The severe weather is expected to continue and a severe warning has been isssued for Rome and other parts of Italy for the next 24 hours. The heavy rain has also affected parts of Slovenia and Switzerland.

Rome on high alert amid severe weather - rainfall up to 110 millimetres in 24 hours expected

Heavy rainfalls and strong winds have hit Rome since Wednesday night and hundreds of schools remained closed on Thursday after a severe weather warning was issued by local authorities. The whole capital city and surrounding areas were put on the highest alert, as more rainfalls up to 110 millimetres in 24 hours were expected, according to Italian civil protection's forecast.

Rome always proved to be particularly susceptible to flooding in case of heavy rains, given its old water network and infrastructures. Major traffic disruption was registered on Thursday morning. At least four major metro stations were flooded by rains and shut, and water swamped several roads in the historical centre and other districts.

The main highways to and from the city were also flooded, and the Rome's ring road GRA was jammed with traffic.

An emergency meeting had been called on Wednesday afternoon by prefect of Rome Alfonso Pecoraro, in order to lay down a plan to face the severe weather warning issued by the regional government.

In addition to the preventive emergency measures that were put in place, the prefecture issued a statement inviting Rome's residents "to leave their houses only for work reasons or most important needs, and to avoid in any case underpasses and subways, basements and any low-lying areas that might be prone to flooding".

The mayor Ignazio Marino urged citizens not to use their cars throughout Thursday if not strictly necessary. All limited traffic zones in Rome's historic centre were intentionally left open to all cars in order to avoid possible congestion.

In addition to schools, the mayor ordered the closure of all archeological and historical sites, as well as cemeteries and the three main universities of Rome.

Marino also addressed Rome's citizens in a video message spread through social networks, warning that "meteorologists explain that Rome could find itself in a situation such as that of January 31st," when entire neighbourhoods and even the most central Via del Corso were flooded by rainwater.

A wave of exceptionally heavy rainfalls has hit several areas in central and northwest Italy in the last 48 hours. The Tuscan city of Carrara was flooded on Tuesday after two local rivers had burst their banks, and civil protection officers had to evacuate several hundreds people from their homes.

A foreign worker, who had been feared dead after the partial collapse of the river's embankment, was rescued by fire fighters in Carrara.

As the bad weather appeared to move towards south, the civil protection extended the alert to other central and southern Italian regions, up to Sicily.

8 Dead, 4,500 Evacuated in Haiti Floods

Flooded streets of Cap-Haitian. Photo: Jean-Junior JOSEPH / Twitter

Torrential rain since Friday has left northern parts of Haiti suffering sever flooding. At least 8 deaths have been reported, and 4,500 people have been forced to evacuate. Over 2,000 homes have been damaged by the flooding.

The severe weather in this region of the Caribbean has also affected Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, where one person died in floods earlier this week.

#Haiti #CapHaitien today pic.twitter.com/hLVl94t8Tt
— Haiti News Network (@HaitiNewsNet) November 4, 2014

#Haiti: #CapHaitien #Intemperies #Inondation pic.twitter.com/Q2QfbA0AZg
— Haiti News Network (@HaitiNewsNet) November 5, 2014

In Haiti, the worst affected areas are Grande-Rivière-du-Nord, Limonade, Limbé and Dondon, according to local authorities.

Haiti government departments are organising temporary accommodation and distributing food, bedding and water purification tablets. Authorities have also warned of possible further flooding along rivers, and potential landslides.

Met Office issues severe weather and flood warnings - heaviest and most persistent over southwest Scotland

The Met Office is predicting heavy rain and gales for the north-east.

 A severe weather warning has been issued for the north-east as torrential rain continues to hit the region. The Met Office has warned people living in Grampian to "be prepared" for the risk of flooding and treacherous conditions on the road and issued an "amber" warning for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

The rain is expected to continue throughout the rest of the day, overnight and into tomorrow. A forecaster said: "This will be heaviest and most persistent over southwest Scotland, and the southern Highlands from Argyll across to Angus. The rain will gradually clear from the west later on Friday.

"The public should be prepared for the risk of localised flooding and potential disruption to transport, particularly within the Amber area."

Rain, wind warnings issued for Metro Vancouver

The heavy rains and strong winds will continue as a deep Pacific low pressure system moving across the region. © CBC

Environment Canada has issued a strong winds and heavy rain warning for Metro Vancouver, as wind on west Vancouver Island is expected to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h.

In a special weather alert, the agency warns that between 30 and 40 mm of rain are expected on Thursday, while southwesterly winds could reach speeds of 90 km/h in Metro Vancouver.

Meanwhile, wind warnings are also in place for Greater Victoria, Inland Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands, where gusts are expected to reach a similar speed.

Environment Canada has also issued a wind warning for west Vancouver Island, ahead of very strong winds, gusting up to 100 km/h.

As of 6:30 a.m. PT on Thursday, rain warnings are also in place for the Central Coast and the Howe Sound, while wind warnings had also been issued. A weather statement alerting residents to strong winds was issued for the Sunshine Coast and East Vancouver Island, where gusts could reach speeds of up to 80 km/h.

The heavy rains and strong winds will continue as a deep Pacific low pressure system moving across the region, but are expected to subside Thursday night, when the system moves inland.

Far removed from that system, in northern B.C., Environment Canada has also issued snowfall warnings for the Cassiar Mountains and Watson Lake, where up to 15 centimetres of snow is expected.

Drivers are urged to prepare for changing road conditions and low visibility.

North Shore hit by more rain

Thursday's warnings come only days after Metro Vancouver's North Shore was hit with flash flooding following downpours of 88 mm Monday night. And only Wednesday residents were warned to brace themselves for another major storm.

On Thursday morning, our reporter Richard Zussman discovered the rains had not brought such severe flooding as Monday, although a soccer field at Cousteau School was underwater.

Slovenia on red alert as storms and flooding hit the entire country

© 2014 EARS

It began with a period of several days of highly unstable and particularly rainy weather. Now forecasters expect the rainfall to increase, causing already-swollen rivers to flood many areas.

During the day of 5 November 2014, the strongest rain fell in the western part of the country, especially in the Soča Valley.

According to the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster, firefighters were working to pump rainwater out of flooded basements and inundated primary schools.

Due to increased tides, the sea flooded the low-lying coastline in Piran. In Nova Gorica, firefighters delivered sand bags and offered assistance in setting up flood barriers on the ground floor of residential buildings.

Distributing sandbags

The capitol city of Ljubljana is expecting heavy rains and a high risk of flooding, and state services have begun distributing sandbags to residents and businesses. Officials are also calling on all citizens and businesses to clean out any drains and to take any other possible measures to mitigate the effects of flooding caused by the storm.

The Ljubljana mayor's office announced in a press release that families living in a house can receive up to 20 sandbags, while managers of apartment buildings can get up to 100 bags to create flood barriers. Extra sandbags are also available for purchase at all DIY stores for about 50 cents each.

According to meteorologist Bob Gregorčič, EARS [Slovenian Environment Agency] declared a Red Alert for most of the country because of the large amount of rain that is projected to fall over the next three days. Due to the longer expected duration of the storms, the situation is anticipated to be worse than the rains and flooding that occurred last month. The areas most at risk are likely to be in southern, western and central Slovenia.

The commander of the Civil Protection Service, Srecko Šesta, announced that individual municipalities should have an adequate supply of sandbags. The Slovenian Armed Forces are also on standby to provide assistance if needed.

Storms expected to last until Saturday

On Thursday night, precipitation will further strengthen and gradually cover the greater part of the country. In southern and central Slovenia, residents may see from 50 to 100 liters of rain per square meter, and locally even more is possible. In hilly western and southern Slovenia, total rainfall in the coming days may exceed 200 liters per square meter.

The precipitation period is expected to continue up to and including Saturday.

The Environment Agency recommends caution and regular monitoring of meteorological and hydrological forecasts and warnings. -


- Floodlist | Shanghai Daily | Press and Journal | CBC | Dnevnik [Translated].

EXTREME WEATHER: Danger Zones - Winter Storm Wreaks Havoc in British Columbia!

January 09, 2013 - BRITISH COLUMBIA - A powerful winter storm ripping through British Columbia created havoc on highways, turned mountains into danger zones Tuesday, and even sparked an avalanche on Vancouver Island that injured one. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lan-gan said the avalanche was minor and that rescue crews were on the scene Tuesday evening to evacuate those caught in the slide. Langan couldn't say how badly injured the victim was and said everyone has been accounted for in the group.

A travel advisory has been issued for the Coquihalla Highway, where 40 centimetres of snow is expected to fall.
Heavy snow and rain are expected in many areas of B.C. The heaviest rainfall is expected for Hope with
70 millimetres predicted. Ian Lindsay, PNG Files.

The number of people involved is unclear, but as many as four people may have been in the area at the time of the avalanche, which happened in the backcountry of Strathcona Provincial Park, outside the boundaries of Mount Washington Ski Resort. At least 25 centimetres of snow was expected to fall on the North Shore mountains and Whistler region Tuesday night before tapering off by Wednesday. In the Okanagan, up to 40 cm was forecast. According to meteorologist Ross MacDonald, the Metro Vancouver area was to get at least 30 mm of rain by early Wednesday. That rain, however, was expected to clear up by Thursday or Friday. "It'll be pretty dry for a couple of days but we might see a little bit of ... showers on Saturday," said Environment Canada meteorologist Colin Tam. With temperatures above freezing in Metro Vancouver, no snow is forecast with the precipitation. The heaviest rains are expected near Hope, where 70 mm of rainfall is forecast by Wednesday morning. A travel advisory has been issued for the Coquihalla Highway.

MacDonald said at least 40 cm of snow is expected over the summit before the storm passes. A similar amount is expected for the Kootenay Pass. The Canadian Avalanche Centre has posted high danger ratings for the North, the Columbia, Monashee and Selkirks region and the South Columbia region. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. The Avalanche Centre says dangerous conditions can be expected in the North Shore backcountry with conditions already listed as high - possibly moving to extreme in the wake of blizzard-like conditions. Cam Campbell, a forecaster with the centre, said the high alert holds for Wednesday and into Thursday. "We expect the avalanche danger to spike with this storm," he said. "What it means is avoid all avalanche terrain without expert levels of safety and expertise." Overall, Campbell said the snowpack has been stable with the steady snowfall and cold temperatures. The latest snow will need time to bond with the snow from last week. "This is a storm that is loading up the previous snow from late last week," he said. Members of the North Shore Search and Rescue team have already complained that unprepared snowshoers are heading into areas far beyond their level of experience. Last weekend the North Shore team had to rescue a snowshoer who fell off a cliff on Hollyburn. - The Province.