Environment Canada Issues Wind Warning And Special Weather Statement

A wind warning remains in place for East Vancouver Island, and inland areas, along with lots of rain.

Southwest winds will be in the 70 km/h range, gusting to 90 km/h, with fallen tree branches and power outages possible.

As the system moves to the east and weakens, winds will ease below warning criteria this afternoon.

Heavy rain is in the forecast for East Vancouver Island, along with western and inland areas,  portions of Highway 4, and Southern Gulf Islands.

Early indications were calling for 70 to 100 mm of rain over the mountainous terrain of west Vancouver Island, with lesser amounts of rainfall expected elsewhere across the region.

As weather in British Columbia transitions into fall, residents are encouraged to take steps to prepare for cooler temperatures and the increased possibility of rain, snow and flooding.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre continues to closely monitor forecasts and will issue updates as conditions warrant.

The Province says it is taking a number of actions to keep people and communities safe in the event of flooding at all times of the year, including continuous work from the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness on community preparedness activities, including weekly natural hazard information calls with First Nations, communities and partner agencies.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has maintenance contractors monitoring conditions, clearing culverts, and pre-positioning crews and equipment to respond quickly to potential flooding or debris buildup during weather events.

EMCR is prepared to release four million sandbags to communities to protect homes and public infrastructure and is also set to deploy or pre-position sandbag machines to areas of flood concern or potential concern throughout the province.

People are asked to take precautions this season to ensure personal safety, including developing a household plan, putting together emergency kits, connecting with neighbours and learning about the local government emergency response plan for their area.