Heavy rain leads to flooding, road closures in Metro Vancouver

A powerful atmospheric river caused street flooding in parts of Metro Vancouver Saturday, closing some roads and soaking voters headed to the polls in B.C.'s provincial election.

Gallant Avenue in Deep Cove became a torrent of rushing water, with video from the scene showing some businesses attempting to erect barriers to divert the water away from their doors.

West Vancouver police shared video of muddy water and debris flowing down the steep hill of 21st Street near Queens Avenue.

Both the east and westbound on-ramps to Highway 1 from 21st Avenue are closed due to flooding, police said.

Farther down the hill in Ambleside Park, video shared with CTV News shows water shooting out from a manhole cover.

In West Vancouver, video shared with CTV News shows water shooting out from a manhole cover at Ambleside Park. (CTV News)

Elsewhere on the North Shore, video posted on social media shows McKay Creek transformed into churning rapids.

182mm rain in under 24 hrs
by u/km3t in NorthVancouver

In East Vancouver, the intersection of Nanaimo and McGill streets was partially underwater.

Nanaimo & McGill Flooding
by u/sistyc in vancouver

Mounties in Surrey closed the intersection of 76 Avenue and 152 Street due to significant flooding.

"Several vehicles attempted to drive through the water, but became disabled," Surrey RCMP said in a statement Saturday morning.

"Water at the location is approximately waist high. The intersection is currently blocked off."

• In Pictures: Election day flooding in Metro Vancouver

Police also advised the public to stay away from the intersection of King George Boulevard and 128 Street, where pooling water in the southbound lanes from the Pattullo Bridge reduced traffic to a single lane.

It was a similar scene in the Still Creek area of Burnaby, where CTV News cameras located several submerged vehicles.

One car appeared to be floating, and the water was up to the windows of a parked minivan.

In Langley, local Mounties advised that they had been called to "a possible sinkhole developing on 40th Avenue" between 216 and 212 streets.

"Heavy rainfall within the past 24 hours has compromised the stability of the roadway on 40th Avenue between 216 Street and 212 Street," said Cpl. Zynal Sharoom of the Langley RCMP, in a news release.

"Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are being advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes."

Langley RCMP shared this photo of a "possible sinkhole developing on 40th Avenue" Saturday. The road has been closed to traffic. (Langley RCMP)

DriveBC reported several vehicle incidents and road closures due to flooding, and advised motorists to proceed with caution due to pooling water.

"Posted speed limits are for ideal conditions," the agency said on social media. 

Shortly before 1 p.m., BC Hydro was reporting 32 outages across the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast, with roughly 6,000 customers affected.

Rainfall warnings have been in effect for most of Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the south and central coasts since Friday.

Environment and Climate Change Canada said the first atmospheric river of the season is expected to bring up to 120 millimetres of rain to west and inland Vancouver Island on Saturday and into Sunday, with 150 millimetres expected near Vancouver Island's coast and more than 250 millimetres forecast over mountainous terrain.

Metro Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky corridor may get up to 150 millimetres of rain, with precipitation amounts exceeding 180 millimetres expected over the North Shore Mountains, according to the weather agency.

The atmospheric river will also roll over B.C.'s southern Interior, with prolonged periods of heavy rain expected to persist through Sunday.

The expected rain has prompted flood watches by the River Forecast Centre for several rivers along the central and south coasts, Lower Fraser tributaries, waterways in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.

With files from The Canadian Press