Heavy rains coupled with high tides are wreaking havoc on industrial roads leading to Bamfield and Nitinaht.
Local motorists from Anacla, Bamfield and Nitinaht shared photos of road conditions on the way to the remote communities.
Kristen Young of Huu-ay-aht shared a photo of a slide that occurred at the 44 kilometre marker outside of Bamfield on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 18. She reported that the debris had been mostly cleared by 9:30 that morning and drivers could get through.
C̕awak ʔqin Forestry General Manager, Geoff Payne, told Ha-Shilth-Sa that the slide was actually a clump of trees that came down on the road at the location.
“It was not a landslide. Some of the trees have been cleared and vehicles can access through that location,” he said.
He added that the trees were on an embankment above the road and with the heavy wind and rain after a hot, dry summer, the trees slid down onto the roadway.
Additional work is planned to remove the rest of the tree debris in the next day or two.
At another part of the newly chip-sealed road, the Sarita River broke its banks, flooding the road in sections. Young captured images of the flooded roadway.
“With the heavy rains some minor flooding and full ditches were observed between 63 km and 44 km in some low-lying areas,” said Payne.
When the road was improved over the past year, upgrades included better ditching. Those who rely on the route hope that the temporary flooding will not damage the newly chip-sealed road.
Over at Nitinaht, Brian Tate, a Ditidaht member, shared images of the flooded roadway just outside of his community.
Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for inland Vancouver Island on the morning of Oct. 18
“A Pacific weather system will stall over the region, bringing abundant moisture from the subtropics,” stated the government agency. “Rain, heavy at times, will continue through today. The heavy rain will taper off on Thursday.”
The heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible, Environment Canada warned.
An estimated 90 to 120 millimetres of rain is expected over a 24-hour period. The warning remains in effect until the morning of Thursday, Oct. 19.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.
