Stretch of Hwy. 1 closed due to landslide risk as heavy rain falls on wildfire-scorched areas
Heavy rainfall that has increased the risk of landslides caused the B.C. government to announced the closure of a section of the Trans-Canada Highway on Friday.
The Ministry of Transportation announced Highway 1 was being closed starting at 4 p.m. on Friday between Spences Bridge and Lytton, most of which was destroyed by a wildfire in late June.
It says in a statement that intense rainfall over land scorched by wildfire poses the risk of landslides and motorists should expect to encounter debris in burned areas.
Drivers are also advised not to stop along their journeys when it's raining.
Additional roads and highways in B.C. may be affected by landslides and the ministry says further closures may be announced with limited notice.
Earlier on Friday, BC Hydro advised residents across the province to prepare a well-stocked emergency kit for what the Crown utility warned could be a stormy fall and winter made worse by the effects of a severe summer drought.
The latest report from BC Hydro says record-breaking heat between June and August in many parts of B.C. killed trees or weakened their root systems.
It says unstable trees combined with forecast stormier La Nina weather conditions create the potential for more power outages if they topple across power lines.
The utility says conditions heading into the fall mirror those in 2015 and 2018, two major wildfire seasons, when it was hit by its two most damaging storms.
It says a storm following the 2015 summer drought caused more than 710,000 outages and lasted multiple days.
BC Hydro has some of the highest densities of trees per kilometre of power line in North America.
It stepped up its program to manage vegetation near those lines in an effort to reduce the risk of outages over the coming months, the utility says.
But customers should have flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, water and non-perishable food on hand in case the lights go out, it says.
It notes the duration of blackouts has been declining.
“Power service is restored for most customers within the first few hours of an outage,” says a news release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.