Another rain storm drenches Vancouver Island

Wet roads and poor visibility resulted in stressful driving Saturday as moderate rainfall hit a large swath of Vancouver Island from north of Victoria to Campbell River.

On Saturday, Environment Canada posted a special weather statement for Duncan to Nanaimo warning that a slow-moving frontal system, associated with an “atmospheric river” flowing off the Pacific Ocean, will remain across the area today, resulting in extended periods of rain.

Total rainfall amounts are expected to range from 50 to 80 mm, with the highest amounts over southern sections of Inland Vancouver Island.

“It really does feel like a November pattern which is traditionally when the west coast sees its maximum amount of rain,” said Armel Castellan,  meteorologist for Environment Canada. “We’re tracking over 300 per cent of normal for September alone, so if October continues its active streak we’ll be well above average for the fall season.”

In the mid-island, Mainroad Contracting was out Saturday looking for any issues on the roads.

“We’ve got a list of high priority culverts and bridges that we like to patrol in storms like this when we know we’re going to be experiencing high volumes of rain,” said Teagan Burton, operations manager for Mainroad Contracting. “Our crews started last night patrolling those high hazard areas and they’ll be doing it 24 hours a day until the storm subsides.”

It comes after BC River Forecast Centre issued a high streamflow advisory for Vancouver Island on Friday afternoon.

The advisory remains in effect through the day Saturday.

dstoltz@cheknews.ca

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