Whistler and Pemberton were on flood alert Wednesday as the heavy rains continued to fall with no lengthy reprieve in sight.
As of press time on Wednesday night there were no reports of homes being flooded but municipal staff in Whistler and Pemberton were on standby, with water pumps and sandbags at the ready.
After an extended period of clear, cold weather ended Sunday night temperatures in Whistler shot up from —14 to above freezing and brought more than 100 millimetres of rain from Monday to Wednesday. Whistler-Blackcomb closed all alpine lifts and the Creekside Gondola Wednesday.
"I’ve never seen anything like this at this time of year," Marilyn Manso of the Environment Canada weather station in Whistler said Wednesday. "Certainly this could be something that happens around September, October but not around this time of year."
About 20 mm of rain fell Monday but another 64 mm fell in a 24-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. By Wednesday afternoon Whistler had received more than 100 mm in three days. Combined with the frozen ground the water was pooling on some streets and low lying areas creating small lakes. Creeks and stream in the area were also extremely high.
Several Whistler businesses, including Whistler-Blackcomb, advised staff who live in Pemberton to return home Wednesday out of fear Highway 99 might be closed. As of Wednesday afternoon the highway remained open, however, RCMP advised that some sections between Whistler and Pemberton were covered by large puddles.
In Pemberton, Lillooet Lake Road was closed due to extremely hazardous road conditions. Other roads in the Pemberton area were open as of Wednesday afternoon but dykes were being monitored.
The Village of Pemberton and Whistler/Pemberton RCMP set up an emergency information number Wednesday: 604-894-6135. Residents are encouraged to phone the number for up to date information and to report any flood-related concerns.
In Pemberton, village staff went door knocking on Tuesday to put some residents on evacuation alert as the rain continued with more forecasted for the weekend.
"I’ve got experience with this now," said Pemberton Mayor Elinor Warner referring to the flood of October 2003 which forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents when rivers burst their banks after monsoon-like rain.
"We are activating our emergency plan in preparedness and sending out notices to residents in areas that could be affected," said Warner.
"We’re worried about the areas around Pemberton Creek and One Mile Lake…the water’s come up and there’s been some mud on the road mixed with ice."
Anna Helmer, whose family farm is located near the Ryan River in Pemberton, said Wednesday she saw some "big ice jams" on the river breaking up.
"After we had the last flood we saw that this all happens really quick so you’ve got to monitor it," said Helmer.
"You could see it from the highway that there’s some big ice jams on the Ryan River and they’ve been backing water up but a little bit has let go in the last hour.
"This is another reminder this is a flood plain and it goes right down the valley, which is fine if it’s farm land but there’s lot of houses here.
"I’m going get my canoe down…from upstairs in the barn."
Warner said of most concern in the Pemberton Valley was The Peaks area, the Mountainview Trailer Park, and all land along the banks of Pemberton Creek.
Whistler was also monitoring the situation Wednesday.
"We’re on alert," said Whistler Information Officer Diana Waltmann. "We’re monitoring river levels and culverts, trying to keep things free of ice and jams."
Brad Sills, the manager of Whistler Search and Rescue, said members were on full alert Wednesday and had been instructed to have their long lines ready to go into action in case of an emergency.
"It’s a pretty incredible situation we’re looking at," said Sills. "At this point we’re fully expecting something to happen here."
Clare Fletcher of Emergency Social Services said volunteers were busy checking equipment and supplies, and were prepared to house and otherwise support residents in the event of an evacuation, road closure, or flood.
"We started (Tuesday), and have been going through a checklist of equipment and supplies to make sure we’re ready," said Fletcher.
A lot of the emergency response and social service systems in place in the corridor have come on the heels of fire warnings for the past two summers and the October 2003 floods.
Around Whistler, storm sewers were coping with the rain and run off Wednesday but roads were treacherous as water ran over top of patches of snow and ice, making for dangerous conditions said Whistler RCMP Cpl. Devon Jones.
"Drivers definitely need to slow down," he said.
Squamish was also monitoring conditions and issued a boil water advisory for parts of Squamish Wednesday. There were no reports of flooding as of Wednesday.
"We are concerned," said Gord Prescott, manager of operations for the District of Squamish. "We are certainly monitoring the situation fully. Having said that, I went out to the three rivers and dykes (yesterday) morning and I am content that there is not an issue at the present time."
Slush is also blocking ditches and drains making it difficult for accumulated rain to drain away in all communities along the Sea to Sky highway.
Steep slopes along the Sea to Sky Highway are being monitored but as of Wednesday afternoon there were no problem spots. However, there were many spontaneous waterfalls along the side of the highway.
The Howe Sound region is expected to get up to another 20 mm of rain by Thursday afternoon. The freezing level was expected to drop to 1,900 metres Thursday, but then climb back to 2,300 metres by Saturday with more rain in the forecast.
For more information residents could monitor the RCMP’s website for warnings and advisories at =www.rcmp-bcmedia.ca.=
