Monday’s soaker of a rainstorm was more hip waders standard than galoshes on the North Shore.
Up in the mountains, more than 228 millimetres (almost nine inches) of rain washed down the slopes of Mount Strachan between Sunday morning and Tuesday morning.
Lower down, Environment Canada’s weather station in West Vancouver logged a sodden 128 mm (five inches) of rain.
“It was absolutely torrential,” said meteorologist Matt MacDonald.
The biggest problems caused by the storm were downhill, where large volumes of stormwater that infiltrated the sewer system caused a sewer connector to back up in Ambleside.
About five businesses in the area of 15th Street and Bellevue Avenue had to shut after backflow prevention valves were activated, said Donna Powers, spokeswoman for the municipality.
The backflow valves – which property owners in the area have been encouraged to install – prevent sewer backup into the businesses but mean the water system can’t be used while they are active, said Powers.
District crews placed sandbags in front of some businesses to prevent sewer manhole lids from popping. There were reports of other manhole covers popping due to pressure along Marine Drive between 11th and 15th streets, said Powers.
Crews also set up water-filled tiger booms around low-lying waterfront properties like the Silk Purse, in anticipation of possible flooding from especially high king tides this week.
With rain easing off Tuesday morning, however, that flooding didn’t materialize. Powers said the special booms – which are quicker and easier to set up than sandbags – will stay in place until February.
Elsewhere on the North Shore, heavy rains overnight between Monday and Tuesday resulted in a culvert in the Grousewoods neighbourhood becoming blocked with debris.
In the City of North Vancouver, there was also flooding reported at points along Marine Drive on Monday. Crews for both municipalities were busy around the clock clearing storm drains.
Regional parks appeared to escape without significant slides this time, said Metro Vancouver spokesman Greg Valou.
Local rivers were running high Monday with the Capilano reaching a height of 4.5 metres and flows of more than 500 cubic metres a second Monday evening.
In the short term, North Shore residents can look forward to drier and cooler weather in the week ahead, said MacDonald, as temperatures drop about five degrees to near normal and freezing levels fall to about 1,000 metres on Friday.
In the longer term, weather trends are shaping up to be warmer than usual this winter, courtesy of a weak El Nino weather pattern developing near the equator, said MacDonald.
