More storms threaten coastal B.C. after one death, evacuations and nearly 415,000 customer outages since Friday
VANCOUVER – National News Service – Coastal British Columbia is bracing for another prolonged round of heavy rain and strong winds after weekend storms caused one death, forced evacuations and cut power to hundreds of thousands of customers.
Environment Canada issued special weather statements Sunday for the North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast and Vancouver Island. Forecasters said a strong series of systems is expected from Tuesday through Thursday, with the heaviest rain over higher terrain and slopes that face the wind.
The agency said exact rainfall amounts and the full area at risk were still uncertain at the early Monday cutoff. It warned that high rainfall rates could cause water to pool in places with poor drainage and worsen local flooding where the ground is already saturated.
BC Hydro said nearly 415,000 customer outages had occurred since Friday. By 5 p.m. PST Sunday, about 30,000 customers remained without power, down from a peak of about 135,000 overnight. The utility said damage was more difficult to assess in some areas because bad weather had limited aerial patrols.
A driver died Sunday after a tree struck vehicles in Surrey during the second windstorm, CBC News and The Canadian Press reported, citing police.
On northern Vancouver Island, the Village of Zeballos issued an evacuation order Friday for properties threatened by flooding and a possible landslide. Residents across affected regions should rely on local emergency orders because evacuation boundaries can change quickly.
Wind warnings also remained in place for parts of the coast early Monday. The Canadian Press reported gusts of up to 110 kilometres an hour were expected in Haida Gwaii and northern Vancouver Island before another low-pressure system followed.
The latest forecast comes after several days of substantial rain. That raises the risk of falling trees, slope failures, travel disruption and further power outages even if the next system is not the strongest in the series.
Environment Canada urged residents to clear storm drains, monitor official forecasts and follow DriveBC notices. BC Hydro reminded the public to stay at least 10 metres from downed or damaged power lines and call 911 to report them.
Source notes
Environment Canada severe weather statement – Issued Nov. 8, 2026, 4:26 p.m. EST. https://ecalertme.weather.gc.ca/warning-latest_en.php?alert_code=SPS&ualert_id=4047
BC Hydro restoration update – Published Nov. 8, 2026; figures as of 5 p.m. PST. https://www.bchydro.com/news/press_centre/news_releases/2026/crews-make-significant-progress-after-weekend-windstorms.html
BC Hydro second-storm update – Published Nov. 8, 2026; figures as of 7 a.m. PST. https://www.bchydro.com/news/press_centre/news_releases/2026/second-damaging-storm-causes-outages-bc-coast.html
EmergencyInfoBC Zeballos evacuation-order map – Issued Nov. 6, 2026, 9:42 a.m. PST. https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/893/2026/11/2026-11-06-Evacuation-Order_Flooding-with-potential-for-landslide.pdf
