City of Pitt Meadows warns residents to prepare for possible flooding

The Cities of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge are warning residents to be prepared for possible flooding with heavy rains forecast in the coming days.

Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for Thursday, Oct. 27, advising that between 50-70 millimetres is expected throughout the region with heavy winds that will weaken during the evening.

In Pitt Meadows city crews will continue to perform regular checks and maintenance on the city’s dikes and other infrastructure, advised the city, and, the city’s Emergency Operations Centre is prepared to deal with emergencies like low-level flooding.

However, the city is advising residents to check out PreparedBC, which has a number of resources available to help people with flood mitigation and being prepared.

Around 85 per cent of Pitt Meadows is located within the Fraser River and the Pitt River floodplains, so, the city warns, flooding could happen at any time.

Pitt Meadows is susceptible to flooding when there are heavy rains, rain on snow, spring freshet when the river floods due to heavy rain or snow melt from around April to July, or mechanical failure of the pump stations.

The 60 kilometres of dikes surrounding Pitt Meadows protect the city’s low-lying areas and key infrastructure from river flooding, read the city’s flood preparation plan. Other flood mitigation infrastructure includes ditches, pump stations, and flood boxes.

City crews in Maple Ridge will be monitoring drainage intakes and “critical catch” and they will also be on call to respond to fallen trees, branches, or debris.

The city’s street sweeper operations have also been deployed to clean leaves on two shifts, one during the day and the other in the afternoon.

Maple Ridge is reminding residents that their new Voyent Alert emergency notification system is in operation and the app can be downloaded for critical alerts on a mobile device at mapleridge.ca/453.

PreparedBC notes there are simple steps everyone should take to prepare for a possible flood. These include storing valuables and important items or documents in water-tight containers or in high places like a tall shelf or on an upper floor. People should clean their gutters regularly, and keep nearby storm drains clear of debris.

And the site advises to make an emergency plan that includes grab-and-go bags in case it becomes unsafe to stay in the house.

The province is advising that residents of the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and on the north and central coast can expect this stormy weather until Monday, Oct. 31.

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“This type of seasonal storm is typical for the region and is not unusual for this time of year. Environment Canada forecasts a narrow band of heavy precipitation moving through the North and Central Coast on Wednesday, Oct. 26 and Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland on Thursday, Oct. 27,” warned the Ministry of Public Safety, referring to the storm an “atmospheric river”.

“At the end of a drought, this influx of precipitation can cause flooding. However, extreme weather, such as the mid-November 2021 events, is rare and not forecasted at this time,” cautioned the ministry.

To report downed power lines call BC Hydro at 1-800-BCHYDRO or 1-800-224-9376), or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile.

For more information go to the PreparedBC website.

For storm updates go to the City of Pitt Meadows website.

Information on the City of Pitt Meadows flood emergency plan can be found at: pittmeadows.ca/city-services/emergency-preparedness/flood-preparation.