B.C. public sector worker strike affecting river forecasts as Metro Vancouver under high streamflow advisory, says RFC

The B.C. River Forecast Centre (RFC) says job action by the province’s public sector workers may cause its forecasts to have a higher degree of uncertainty.

Both the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and B.C.’s Union for Professionals (PEA) are currently on strike, which has affected the RFC’s data systems and work processes.

“Due to these impacts, RFC staff are unable to access the full range of information that is typically used to generate forecasts and advisories,” it said.

“As a result, current forecasts have a higher degree of uncertainty and should be interpreted with caution.”

This comes as Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the Sunshine Coast are under a high streamflow advisory, with upwards of 70 millimetres of rain expected in the Lower Mainland.

“A strong storm system currently impacting the North and Central Coast is drifting southward along the B.C. coast,” the advisory says.

“Rivers are expected to rise rapidly beginning Friday and continue through Saturday in response to rainfall. Rivers are expected to recede before the second storm event increases flows again Sunday and into Monday.”

The RFC says the rainfall may not be high enough for flood concerns, but it may cause road washouts.

In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, the province’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said, “There is no change to our ability to issue high streamflow advisories, flood watches, and flood warnings.
We have access to the various weather models that predict the intensity and location of atmospheric river events during the fall season, which may cause flooding.”

However, the RFC advises locals to use caution when interpreting the centre’s forecasts.