Southern BC Flooding Severely Impacting Highway Travel

Cars on southern BC flooded highway
Cars on a flooded city road at the rain day.

Major highways such as the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5), sections of Highway 1, and other highways in Southern British Columbia are closed due to flooding, mudslides, and other weather-related emergency events.  Late in the evening on November 14, all major routes into and out of Vancouver, BC on Canada’s side of the border have been either closed or impacted.

Significant rainfall has created flooding conditions in low lying areas.  The steep mountain slopes in the area, coupled with the rain, have turned ditches and creeks into fast moving hazardous waterways.  Homes at low elevations in some areas have been evacuated, with more under evacuation alerts, and mudslides are challenging crews and the public.

For motorists and truck drivers in the area, travel is impacted and conditions are dangerous.  Local authorities and engineers are assessing the damage to highways and infrastructure, and there is no clear estimate as to when travel will be able to resume.  Unfortunately, there is continued rain in the forecast.

Travellers in the area should pay close attention to BC’s road conditions website, DriveBC, for accurate and current condition reports for roadways in the area.  For truck drivers who are already safely parked in the area or planning on travelling through the area, we advise you to check current conditions before leaving your safe spot since travel delays and road conditions may make it unreasonable to expect to get to your destination.