Powerful winds and storm surge cause damage across the province
The Central Okanagan Regional District reported localized flooding after a powerful windstorm swept across southern B.C.
The district said homes in low-lying areas near lakes were affected as winds caused a storm surge and whipped up waves, pushing already high water levels past flood stage.
Okanagan Lake rose 4.5 centimetres during the storm, reaching 342.95 metres, five centimetres below its highest recorded level of 343 metres, set in 1948.
The Okanagan Indian Band issued evacuation orders for several lakeside properties southwest of Vernon, while the district warned residents that water saturated ground creates a greater hazard of falling trees in the aftermath of the storm.
The storm knocked out power to 210,000 B.C. Hydro customers on the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, parts of Vancouver Island and the southern Interior.
Hydro spokeswoman Mora Scott said power was restored early Wednesday for about 184,000 customers, but another 30,000 remained without electricity, including in some of the hardest hit areas like 100 Mile House, Clearwater, Salmon Arm and Enderby.
A Hydro technician was unhurt but his truck was crushed by a falling tree while he tried to restore power in a Vancouver neighbourhood. Scott said the worker was in the vehicle when the tree came down, but the truck’s boom absorbed most of the impact and the worker was able to escape the shattered cab.
Environment Canada dropped its wind warnings and replaced them with special weather statements covering most of the south and central Interior as dropping temperatures resulted in several centimetres of snow on mountain passes.
Recent warm weather accelerated the melting of heavy snowpacks throughout the southern Interior, and the River Forecast Centre says the Kettle, Nicola and Salmon rivers are on flood watch.
Okanagan residents have been warned that high lake levels and flood conditions could persist into June.