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Powerful rainstorm may cause flooding in parts of Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island

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VANCOUVER -

An “aggressive” snow melt combined with heavy rain could cause flooding in parts of Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for 50 to 100 millimetres that’s expected to fall late Tuesday evening and into Wednesday night.

“The atmospheric river will hit in three pulses,” said meteorologist Bobby Sekhon.

The snow on the mountains isn’t the issue this time. It is deep enough that it should be able to absorb moisture, and that’s why both the River Forecast Centre and Environment Canada don’t believe the storm will cause the same devastation B.C. faced in November.

“The rainfall itself would probably show up as being a fairly run-of-the-mill moderate storm event,” said Dave Campbell, director of the River Forecast Centre.

Instead, it’s all the snow that’s covered Metro Vancouver streets over the past few weeks, combined with incoming rain, that has forecasters wary.

“So where there might be poor drainage, or flat agricultural land, we could see some flooding,” added Sekhon.

The B.C. government and local municipalities are urging the public get ready for the storm. People are also being warned to stay away from rivers and streams.

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