Highway 99 reopens north of Whistler after rockslide and power outage

Highway 99 north of Whistler has reopened in both directions after a morning closure caused by rocks on the road and a downed BC Hydro pole. The provincial highway agency DriveBC reported the reopening between Crazy Canuck Drive and Green Lake Lookout. The rockslide and damaged hydro pole had blocked the southbound lane and part of the northbound lane near the Green Lake Viewpoint, prompting the initial closure at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Geotechnical crews were dispatched to assess the situation, and BC Hydro began repairs to its equipment once that assessment was complete. According to the BC Hydro outage map, power was restored to residents in the area after an outage that began around 1 a.m. The utility had initially estimated power would return by 9 a.m. The reopening comes as the region braces for more severe weather, with heavy rainfall and flood warnings in effect.

The River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch for the region, warning that rivers are expected to rise very rapidly. "Following a series of atmospheric rivers last week, another round of storm systems is expected to impact the B.C. coast starting on Tuesday," the warning reads. It states the heaviest rain is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, with lingering rainfall continuing through the rest of the week. The warning indicates the potential for the heaviest rainfall to occur on west and north Vancouver Island, and areas of the South Coast including Howe Sound, the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the North Shore Mountains and extending east to the north side of the Fraser Valley. "Hydrologic modelling is forecasting the potential for flows in the five-year to 10-year range, or higher, in areas," the centre said. This increases the risk for unstable river banks, erosion, submerged roads, swift water hazards, flooding and landslides.

Environment Canada has also issued a rainfall warning, coloured orange, for the Squamish to Whistler area. It forecasts very heavy rain from Tuesday morning to Wednesday night, with amounts of 120 to 160 millimetres or possibly more. The alert warns that localized flooding is likely. "Some roads may become impassable. Visibility will likely be suddenly reduced at times. Landslides may occur in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes, deforested areas or recent burn scars," it continues. "Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions."

Temperatures are expected to be warm through Wednesday, which could lead to additional snowmelt from shallow snowpacks in higher terrain. The region is still recovering from a storm this past weekend. The Squamish Airport recorded 55 millimetres of rain, with southeast winds gusting up to 65 kilometres per hour. At Pam Rock in Howe Sound, winds reached 65 km/h gusting to 90 km/h.

With files from Squamish Chief