Most severe weather events have happened in last 5 years: BC Hydro

A new report from BC Hydro suggests the severe weather events that have led to some of the most damaging fall and winter storms in the province’s history have mostly happened in the last five years.

A University of British Columbia ecosystem sciences professor says this is a clear sign of climate change, and British Columbians should prepare themselves for the storms coming this winter.

“It is very extreme. And these are predictions that everybody expected from climate change. The prediction is not necessarily that we would have more rain on average throughout the year, but we would have more rain in very punctuated pulses in the autumn and the winter,” John Richardson explained.

BC Hydro says the province has already experienced its first significant storms of this season — the first in late October and the second earlier in November. Both heavy rain and windstorms left hundreds of thousands of customers in the dark.

One of the worst storms documented in the report came in December 2018 — when over 750,000 customers lost power on B.C.’s south coast. Data suggests this storm season could be even worse.

Simon Fraser University earth sciences professor John Clague says this stems from more moisture in the air, which happens due to a warmer atmosphere.

“We possibly are going to have stronger storms that form in the North Pacific, and particularly the Gulf of Alaska. And that’s the driver for these heavy rainstorms, the atmospheric rivers, and also for strong winds,” he said.

BC Hydro says unusually dry conditions can make these weather events worse.

“Our latest report found that three in five British Columbians say that the worst storm they’ve experienced in B.C. has happened in the past few years, and our data supports that,” said Susie Rieder, a spokesperson with BC Hydro.

“This storm season is unique in that there was a drought in the summer and early fall, which led to weakened vegetation and trees, which makes them more susceptible in wind events to fall into BC Hydro infrastructure.

BC Hydro says the increase in extreme weather events underlines the importance of preparation. British Columbians are encouraged to get their 72-hour emergency kit ready for this winter with essentials like water, flashlights, and an external phone charger.