Flood warning issued for Squamish, Cheakamus River

A flood warning has been issued for the Squamish River and its tributaries, according to the province’s River Forecast Centre.

Just after 5 p.m. on Monday, the centre issued a flood warning for the Squamish and Cheakamus Rivers, along with an existing flood watch for the Sumas River, South Coast and Vancouver Island, and a high streamflow advisory for the Lower Fraser tributaries and Central Coast.

These warnings come as a series of powerful storms are striking coastal B.C. Since Friday, the centre says between 80 and 300 millimetres of rain has fallen in the region.

Forecasters add a second atmospheric river is currently bringing another round of rainfall to the coast overnight into Tuesday. West Vancouver Island and the Coast Mountains are predicted to be the heaviest hit.

Tributaries around Howe Sound, the North Shore Mountains and northern Fraser Valley, and the Sunshine Coast are “areas of concern,” the centre says, and pose an increased risk to safety due to unstable river banks.

Specifically, the Squamish River and its tributaries are expected to exceed their banks, if they haven’t already, and flooding in areas nearby will likely occur.