'It Has Never Rained This Hard Before'
Pedestrians fend off heavy rain yesterday in Vancouver.
October 21, 2003
Ian Austin and Christi Willis
The Province
All this rain is beginning to sound like a broken record -- in fact, lots and lots of broken records.
"It has never rained this hard before in the Lower Mainland since we've been keeping records," meteorologist David Jones of Environment Canada said yesterday. "We're talking about a storm that should happen every 100 to 200 years."
As more statistics come through, the enormity of the Pineapple Express deluging the B.C. coast is emerging.
On Oct. 16, rain was falling west of Port Alberni at the rate of 40 millimetres per hour, believed to be the heaviest recorded rainfall in B.C. history.
"That's an inch and a half an hour," said an astounded Jones, who like many British Columbians returns from his job forecasting rain to a wet basement.
Beginning with the Oct. 16 deluge, Squamish has set four rainfall records -- 239 mm in two days, 318 mm in three days, 369 mm in four days -- with a five-day record also likely on the way.
North of Squamish, readings in the Elaho Valley show what is likely the greatest four-day deluge in B.C. history -- 600 mm from Oct. 16-19. For old-fashioned Imperial fans, that's two feet of rain -- with more to come.
"We're expecting 60 to 80 mm [Monday]," said Jones as rain lashed the region again yesterday. "It's going to get worse before it gets better."
Environment Canada hydrologist Dave Hutchinson said the Lillooet -- should that be Lilloo-wet? -- River near Pemberton reached its highest level ever Oct. 19, after rising 4.8 metres in just two days. River records go back to 1914.
The Cheakamus River, similarly, rose 3.5 metres in two days before it peaked Oct. 18, taking out the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
"The trees, the soil, everything is full of water," said Dave Gooding, senior forecast hydrologist with the River Forecast Centre in Victoria. "Basically, there's no place for it to go."
Gooding says if -- and that's a big if -- the weather forecast proves correct, rivers should peak about noon today, without reaching the earlier peak levels, and should start to fall in the afternoon.
And then, if all goes well, a drying trend.
"The next system, not as wet as this, will come through Tuesday and Wednesday," said Jones. "We're forecasting showers for Thursday, with it drying off by Friday."
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
- When the jet stream blows from the tropics to the Pacific Northwest, it brings large quantities of warm, moist air.
- The moisture can produce many days of heavy rain, which can cause flooding.
- The warm air can also melt snow pack in the mountains, which can increase flooding.
- The latest Pineapple Express has broken numerous rainfall records.
RAINFALL RECORDS
- Victoria one-day record: 136 mm, Oct. 16
- Vancouver two-day record: 141 mm, Oct. 16-17
- Squamish: two-day, 239 mm, Oct. 16-17; three-day, 318 mm, Oct. 16-18; four-day, 369 mm, Oct. 16-19
- Total rainfall, four days, 600 mm, Elaho Valley, Oct. 16-19 1foot 11.622"
- Heaviest rainfall per hour, 40 mm/hour, west of Port Alberni, Oct. 16
iaustin@png.canwest.com
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/story.asp?id=412D5D1B-A75F-4D19-AE4C-D055F7FE7D8C