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A pedestrian walks along Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday as a storm hit the province. Tens of thousands of people lost power, with more rain expected in some areas on Sunday.Justine Beaulieu-Poudrier/The Globe and Mail
A North Vancouver woman is praising the quick actions of local firefighters for saving her life after she was swept down a fast-moving creek in the stormy weather that descended over parts of the province.
Brittany Craig was attempting to fix the line that brings water from a nearby creek into her home in the Woodlands community north of Deep Cove on Friday when she lifted a rock and the sudden release of water pushed her into the fast-moving creek.
“It was like out of a movie, when you see people go in a creek or river, and they go under, and then their head comes up for a second,” Craig said in an interview Saturday.
Craig said she was able to grab onto a log in the middle of the creek and managed to call 9-1-1 on her cellphone that was nearly out of battery.
She said she was eventually stranded on the log, pushed against a sheer bank with nowhere else to go.
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A cyclist in Stanley Park during the storm on Friday.Justine Beaulieu-Poudrier/The Globe and Mail
She began waving her red hooded sweatshirt in the air and screaming for help when firefighters arrived, throwing her a life-jacket and supplies to keep her warm.
Dennis Cappellini, assistant fire chief for District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, said they got a call around 12:47 p.m. about a water rescue for a woman in the creek.
Cappellini said crews arrived to find the creek had already turned into a fast-moving river due to heavy rainfall.
They lowered a rescuer down on the rope, attached Craig, and hauled her out of the creek onto a trail.
Cappellini said a tree fell next to crew members as they performed the rescue.
“It was a pretty treacherous rescue, but all in all, it went very well,” he said.
Craig said she is overwhelmed with gratitude for the rescuing efforts.
“If they didn’t come here, I don’t think I would have been alive,” she said.
Strong winds and heavy storms across B.C. left tens of thousands of people without power Saturday.
BC Hydro said about 80,000 customers were without electricity at the peak of Friday’s storm, when high winds knocked down trees and branches, leading to widespread power outages across the province.
It said more than 190,000 customers have lost power since the storm began, and, as of Sunday morning, about 87,000 remain without power after another round of rough weather rolled through overnight.
The provincial Crown corporation said Prince George in northern B.C., as well as Port Hardy, Courtenay and Qualicum on Vancouver Island, are among the hardest-hit areas.
“Due to the extent of the damage and access challenges in some areas, some customers are expected to remain without power overnight,” said BC Hydro in a statement.
Parts of Vancouver Island have seen up to 210 millimetres of rain since Thursday in the first major weather system of British Columbia’s storm season, which could combine with high tides to soak some low-lying coastal areas.
B.C.’s River Forecast Centre said the rainfall is part of a series of atmospheric river systems expected to drench coastal areas in the coming days.
It said waterways are rising rapidly, with flows in parts of northern and western Vancouver Island reaching two- to five-year return levels on Friday.
High streamflow advisories cover most of the island as well as the south and central coasts, including the Sea to Sky region and the lower Fraser River basin.
A wind warning for parts of Metro Vancouver said strong winds gusting up to 90 kilometres an hour would last until Sunday.
Environment Canada, meanwhile, issued a coastal flooding statement for much of Vancouver Island’s west coast, saying elevated ocean levels combined with strong winds and waves could push waters above the highest astronomical tides.
The river forecast centre said a second bout of rain would arrive later Saturday, stretching into Sunday, with the heaviest downpours expected on Vancouver Island and in the Sea to Sky and Howe Sound areas, along with the North Shore mountains.
A third storm that’s expected to hit Monday may bring a more prolonged period of rainfall across B.C.’s coast through next week, the forecaster said.
Whitney Deane, a spokeswoman with BC Hydro, said Friday’s storm caused significant damage, and customers are encouraged to be prepared.
“Additional weather systems are expected through mid-week, and some of the winds could be more impactful than what we’ve seen so far,” said Deane.
In the Village of Zeballos on northwest Vancouver Island, 22 properties remained under evacuation order after heavy rain and flooding on Friday raised landslide risk.
The Strathcona Regional District said in a statement on Saturday that a geotechnical engineer had completed their initial assessment and the district was awaiting the formal report.
One of the main roads in the area, Maquinna Avenue, was re-opened to essential travel, but the statement said stopping was strictly prohibited, “as there continues to be a risk to public safety.”
An earlier statement from the district said officials were also monitoring the forecasted heavy rainfall expected to begin later on Saturday.
BC Ferries cancelled multiple trips scheduled for Saturday night due to high winds and wave height in the Strait of Georgia, which lies between Vancouver Island and the southwestern mainland.
It warned that more cancellations were possible on Sunday.
Craig said she spent Friday night shaken up after what she experienced, but she took to social media to express her gratitude for the firefighters.
“I owe my life to the crew at District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue. The power of these creeks right now is no joke; what looks manageable on the surface will take your feet right out from under you,” said Craig in a post on Facebook.
Cappellini said unexpected things can happen in water, especially after a heavy rain or when a high streamflow advisory is in place.
“The currents are strong; even if you have a dog that’s a really good swimmer, be careful with your pets as you would be with yourself, your children, and other loved ones,” he said.