Atmospheric river pounds Metro Vancouver

Good morning,

It was a very, shall we say, startling morning on my trip in Tokyo on Sunday. I woke up to the building slightly swaying. At first I thought I was imagining it, but realized I was actually experiencing an earthquake.

Suffice to say, it was a small one, and I appeared to be the only one startled when I got out of the building. At some point, Vancouver is going to deal with “the big one.” It was a good reminder for me to have a plan ready just in case. You can read about the city’s recommendations to be ready.

Today we’ve got an update on the big storm and how it may impact the region.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

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WEATHER

Monday: 11 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Tuesday: 14 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Wednesday: 11 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

ENVIRONMENT

Atmospheric river pounds Metro Vancouver

What happened: On Friday, Environment Canada said that Metro Vancouver and the South Coast should prepare for another atmospheric river, with the potential for high river levels, flooding and landslides in certain areas, according to CBC. Other areas impacted include the North Shore, Sea-to-Sky, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. It seems like literally nowhere is safe…

The weather is expected to worsen today, tonight and into Tuesday. There could be up to 400 mm of rain falling between Saturday and Wednesday, though Metro Vancouver is expected to get 250 mm, according to CityNews. 

Warning issued: On Sunday, a flooding warning was issued for the Sumas River, according to the Vancouver Sun. An spillover occurred 20 kilometres south in Everson, Washington, but did not last long.

BC’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness took to Twitter to say the province was monitoring the situation, and said they did not expect flooding in the Sumas Prairie, the site of the major flooding in 2021.

Making things worse: The warm weather is worsening the situation, with snow melting in the mountains, which could cause flooding, according to the Vancouver Sun. The bad news for skiers is that the freezing level will be as high as 2,500 metres, with lots of freezing rain that will likely wipe away much of the snow from earlier in the season. 

• Yes, but: The storm isn’t expected to be as bad as the 2021 storm that flooded and destroyed farmland in the Fraser Valley, and resulted in massive environmental damage.  

Stock up: Not only could flooding be an issue, but power outages may occur as well. This is due to the expected strong winds resulting in falling trees, according to CityNews.

Interesting research: A research paper from the journal Weather and Climate Extremes estimated that the flooding impacts in 2021 were 60 percent more likely because of the effects of human-caused climate change, with the volume of water precipitation being between one in fifty or one in one hundred year event. 

Looking ahead: If things were to escalate, a key question is has the province adequately prepared for potential emergencies like this, after much criticism over their handling of the flooding in 2021?

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

📈 $55,000: How much a 92-year-old Vancouver house sold for in 1978. It just sold for almost $3 million on Wednesday… [Urbanized]

👮 1: The number of homicides this year. The first one occurred on Sunday, after someone was found dead inside their home. The police are investigating and haven’t released the cause of death. [Vancouver is Awesome]

FOOD

Restaurant review: A new French-inspired spot is turning heads

The text message from the restaurant buzzes, inquiring if I’ll still be coming to the restaurant. Frantically I reply yes. 

As someone who, as I’ve told my friends repeatedly, is mortified by being late, there’s nothing more stressful than telling a restaurant that, yes, you plan to still be there, but secretly knowing you have no idea when your friends will arrive. 

Restaurants are controlled chaos, a well-orchestrated dance between guests, front of house and cooks that can go off the rails if a guest, or in my case, multiple guests, are late (or very late). It’s not the best way to start a visit, especially one you’ve been anticipating for weeks.

Read the entire review here.

DREAM JOB

Discover a new career right here in Vancouver:

• Director, external relations at SkilledTradesBC

• Director of marketing at Peterson

• Creative and visual director at Aelen

• Chief medical officer at WorksafeBC

• Vice-president, brand, marketing and communication at Chard Development

• Executive director at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

THE AGENDA

🪧 Well this is some sweet news… The strike by Rogers Sugar workers may be over soon, with a tentative agreement announced between the company and the union. The workers have been on the picket lines since Sept. 28. There are no details on the potential contract, which will need to be voted on by members. [CBC]

🔥 Hastings Street near Victoria Drive was closed Friday morning after a large flatbed truck caught fire. No injuries were reported. Someone captured this gnarly photo of the truck on fire. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🚄 It’ll be a little longer before we know if CUPE 4500, which is currently undertaking job action against Coast Mountain Bus Company, will be allowed to picket SkyTrain stations, as the BC Labour Board Relations hearing was moved from today until Wednesday. If they’re given approval, it could mean the next job action shuts down the SkyTrain, not just the Seabus and city buses. [Global]

🌲 City manager Paul Mochrie said the dissolution of the park board won’t impact land management, or workers because they’re already employed by the city, and no jobs will be lost, amongst other things. You can read the full interview here. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🏢 The BC government is looking at adopting a single emergency exit stairwell for buildings as tall as eight stories, as a way to improve housing affordability. Currently, two are needed for any building three stories or higher. I can say from personal experience that this is normal in Japan, with some as high as 12 storeys or more! [Urbanized]

🏗️ The Sunset Community Centre will soon expand to include a seniors centre, with event rooms, a kitchen and lounge space. [Urbanized]

🧓 Speaking of seniors, BC is facing a crisis when it comes to senior poverty rates. Those who are 65 years or older are twice as likely to have low incomes in 2021, doubling in the last 20 years. It’s also increasingly hard for them to find affordable housing in BC’s expensive market. [Global]

🏒 The Canucks beat the Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime, with Brock Boeser scoring a hat trick. It’s always weird to type this, but the team sits tied for first in the league with 71 points and a record of 33-11-5.​​

EVENT GUIDE

Dine Out Vancouver | Various locations across Vancouver | Now until Feb 4. | Try multiple course tasting meals at some of Vancouver’s best restaurants | Prices per meals vary

2024 Vancouver Power 50 | Terminal City Club, Vancouver | This Thursday, 5:30 pm | Come celebrate the movers and shakers of Vancouver, with networking and awards ceremony | Tickets $88

Cannes Lions Screening | Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver | This Thursday, 5:30 pm | Come watch the best ads and creative campaigns in the world, a great opportunity to meet other creatives and marketers | Tickets $38

The Real Greek, proper cooking | 2665 Renfrew Street La Salle College Vancouver | This Saturday, 6 pm | Come learn how to make your own Greek food, including spanakopita, moussaka and more | Tickets $113

Amplify Chinatown: Community Banner Making Workshop | Sun Wah Centre - 4th Floor | This Saturday, 2 pm | Bringing together the community to create protest and celebration banners for the community | Free

PHOTO OF THE DAY

This is quite the photo of the burned-out car on Hastings…

QUIZ TIME

Can you guess this week’s Vancouver news quiz?

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The man behind the popular Seabus Memes account is getting a lot of attention these days! He sat down for an (anonymous) interview with CTV. [CTV]

• Popular restaurants in Vancouver are increasingly charging a reservation fee to reduce potential no-shows. [CityNews]

• You can purchase a special edition Lunar New Year Canucks jersey designed by artist Trevor Lai. [Global]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.