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Storm Lashes Coastal B.C., Knocking Out Power but Blanketing Resort in Snow

Posted on: Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 15:00 CST

By SCOTT SUTHERLAND

VICTORIA (CP) - A powerful Pacific storm packing strong winds and heavy rains walloped British Columbia's south coast Wednesday, barely a week after record rainfalls forced hundreds from their Fraser valley homes.

The latest storm knocked out power to thousands and led to cancelled ferry service and some float plane flights to Vancouver Island. But the same storm also brought smiles to resort operators in Whistler, where the ski and snowboard season is about to begin.

Wind and rainfall warnings were posted for most of the B.C. lower mainland and Vancouver Island.

Electricity was cut off before daybreak to about 8,000 customers in Sechelt, Whistler, Bowen Island and Quadra Island, B.C. Hydro said.

Pandemonium reigned at the Daily Roast coffee bar in Sechelt, B.C., one of the few spots with power on the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver.

"It's nasty out there," said Candy, a harried barrista."We've had a steady lineup for the past hour out the door."

She said customers reported significant outages.

"We've had calls from pretty much all over the (Sunshine) coast finding out if we're open," she said.

Harbour Air cancelled its float plane service between Vancouver and Victoria and Nanaimo, although West Coast Air was able to maintain flights between Vancouver and Victoria.

Helijet service to Victoria was not affected but westbound flights were bucking strong head winds.

Wind gusts forced B.C. Ferries to cancel or delay sailings on major routes linking the B.C. mainland to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

But the situation was different in the resort community of Whistler.

While there were some minor power disruptions about 5 a.m., they appeared to be confined to specific residential areas and were repaired quickly.

In the mountains north of Vancouver, the torrential rain soaking the lower levels fell as snow.

"It's snowing' a lot," said Ryan Proctor, a spokesman working at the base of the Intrawest Corporation's Whistler-Blackcomb ski hills. "It's dumpin' right now."

Whistler Mountain opens for the season Saturday.

"We're excited to get all this snow," he said. "It's all fantastic news."

Winds up to 100 kilometres an hour in some areas were forecast by Environment Canada, which warned of rainfall amounts of 50 to110 millimetres through the day.

But the province's River Forecast Centre did not issue a flood watch, even though some coastal rivers were expected to rise.

Despite the rain, the Chilliwack River in the eastern Fraser Valley was reported to be receding.

A storm known as a "Pineapple Express" carried warm winds and record rains to the area earlier this month, sending the river over its banks and forcing the evacuation of about 200 families. Smaller evacuations occurred near Hope.

Environment Ministry officials on Vancouver Island kept a watch on the threatening Cowichan River for local flooding.

In the pre-dawn hours, a tsunami watch was issued for the outer coast of the province after a strong 8.3-magnitude earthquake northeast of Japan. It was cancelled after several hours when regions of Japan and Alaska reported only minor 30-centimetre waves.

Source: Canadian Press

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