Heavy rainfall — which set a one-day record in Greater Victoria — has forced the closing of numerous roads on southern Vancouver Island due to flooding and washouts, swamped the McKenzie interchange construction site, and has caused wastewater overflows.
The flooding and washouts stranded some people.
Finlayson Arm Road was closed on Friday, with barricades in place at the bridge off the Trans-Canada Highway and at Mary’s Farm and Sanctuary.
Also shut down was Shawnigan Lake Mill-Bay Road, the result of flooding between Deloume and Cameron Taggart roads one kilometre north of Mill Bay. By late afternoon, it was open to single-lane alternating traffic.
Stewart Road on Salt Spring Road was closed due to a washout, while Pacific Marine Road between Port Renfrew and Lake Cowichan remained closed as a result of flooding.
Highway 18 linking Lake Cowichan and the Duncan area was blocked by a mudslide but has been reopened, and Martindale Road in the Parksville area has reopened after flood waters subsided.
At the McKenzie interchange construction site, heavy rain combined with a malfunctioning pump led to flooding in areas where work is being done.
The extent of the potential damage has not been determined.
Traffic was not affected.
Chris Cowley, operations manager for Mainroad South Island Contracting, which maintains provincial highways and roads on the south Island, said that while there was localized flooding in some areas, traffic was generally moving well on Friday.
Despite storm preparation, Cowley said, some culverts were overwhelmed.
“There’s some pooling here and there, so approach conditions with a bit of caution, but the major routes are all open and there’s no issues.”
At Victoria International Airport, the 48.2 millimetres that fell Thursday beat the old Jan. 3 record of 27.2 mm set in 1936.
Victoria’s Inner Harbour saw its second-highest rainfall total for Jan. 3 at 35.6 mm, with the record of 58.4 mm set in 1895.
Ucluelet also received a record rainfall with 214.2 mm on Jan. 2 — beating the 174.2 mm registered in 1962.
Environment Canada meteorologist Carmen Hartt said the “significant” amount of rain on the Island was affected by the type of weather system that brought it.
“It was very slow-moving, almost a stalled frontal system, so the rain kept coming and it lasted more than a day.”
Hartt said the average rainfall in the Victoria area in January is 133 mm — and 56 mm fell at Victoria airport on Wednesday and Thursday alone.
“It’s over a third, approaching half, for the month,” she said.
Some rain is expected over the weekend, and there is a 60 per cent chance of showers Monday.
Rain also caused stormwater and wastewater overflows around the Victoria area, leading to a wastewater discharge notice from the Capital Regional District, in consultation with Island Health.
The following areas are affected:
• From Rutland Road to Seaview Road, including Cadboro Bay
• From Trafalgar Park to Radcliffe Lane, including McNeill Bay
• From Fraser Street to Victoria View Road, including Saxe Point, Macaulay Point and McLoughlin Point
• From Cook Street to St. Charles Street, including Clover Point and Ross Bay
• From Arbutus Cove Lane to Telegraph Bay Road, including Arbutus Cove, Finnerty Cove and Telegraph Cove
Signs are being posted, and the public is advised to avoid the water in the affected areas due to the potential health risk.
A boil-water notice related to flooding that was issued Thursday by the Comox Valley Regional District has been lifted.
