The flood watches and high streamflow advisories have come to an end for all regions of Vancouver Island, as well as the Central and North Coast.
In a Thursday (Dec. 2) update, the BC River Forecast Centre says the final “atmospheric river” in a series has dissipated, which means the watches and advisories can now be lifted.
The warnings were first issued on Nov. 29, when river levels were expected to rise rapidly, potentially approaching or exceeding bankfull.
Over the past few days, storm rainfall totals were in the 105 to 220 mm range on West Vancouver Island, with the east and south ends of the island observing 10 to 55 mm.
And while the Central Coast saw 60 to 135 mm of rain and minimal snowmelt during the storm, it was a different story on the island, where 20 to 30 mm of snowmelt contributed to river runoff.
“Rivers have reached peak levels and are now receding in all areas,” the Forecast Centre explains.
“Conditions are expected to stabilize across the region on Thursday. No severe weather is anticipated into the weekend, and risks from more active weather next week are being monitored.”
But officials are still advising the public to stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks.
As well, flood warnings and high stream river advisories are in effect for various other parts of the province. The Forecast Centre’s flood warnings and advisories map shares more details.
Breaking records on the island:
The past three months have seen a surge in the amount of rain that is normal for Vancouver Island.
Armel Castellan with Environment Canada says Nanaimo is experiencing its wettest autumn ever, with 619.8 mm so far. That’s 181.3 per cent of normal.
Meanwhile, in Campbell River, the past three months have seen 668.3 millimetres of rainfall, which is 145 per cent above normal and the city’s third wettest fall on record.
And in Comox, 567.4 millimetres of rain has fallen, which is 156 percent above normal for the 11th wettest fall for the area.
