B.C. storm season pours in with state of local emergency, evacuations

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The Strathcona Regional District, which covers a region that includes parts of the coastal mainland, announced the local emergency.

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“The Village of Zeballos and (the district) are actively monitoring flooding and potential landslide risks in the area,” it said.

“Both the Village of Zeballos and (district) emergency operations centres are activated and co-ordinating response efforts.”

Bonnie Logan, the acting manager of emergency services for the district, said the local fire department was called at around 4 a.m. on Friday about heavy rain, flooding, and rocks and other debris on the road.

She said emergency operations centres were activated and evacuations commenced for properties on Maquinna Avenue and Pandora Crescent.

“That slope was part of a wildfire in 2018 and there has been some slope stability problems in the past,” she said, noting there had been some mitigation efforts.

“But just due to the volume of rain and the active flow of water and the debris on the roadway, it was deemed to be a life safety issue.”

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District also issued a statement Friday advising residents of wildfire-stricken areas of the south Cariboo to prepare for landslide and flooding risks, especially if they live near a waterway or at the base of a slope.

Gusty winds in the forecast for the region could blow over dead or damaged trees in areas charred by wildfires, the district added.

In Zeballos, Logan estimated about 50 people were under evacuation order, some staying with family or friends and others in hotel rooms that are being provided.

She said the hope is that geotechnical engineers can be brought in on Saturday to assess the stability of the slope and help officials determine the next steps.

They would also keep an eye on the forecast, she said.

Steve Boily, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Friday that parts of northwestern Vancouver Island had seen 140 millimetres of rain since Thursday.

He said the region that includes Zeballos would get a break from the rain late Friday, before another system is expected to bring close to 100 millimetres of rain starting Saturday evening and persisting into Sunday.

A third system, forecasted to bring up to 200 millimetres of rain to exposed areas, is slated to begin on Monday and last for an “extended period of time,” Boily said.

“They are forming much further over the ocean and then they hit the coast one after the other,” he said of the weather systems,

Until the low pressure moves south, there will be precipitation “at least for another week,” he said.

The first major storm of the season set off more than two dozen wind and rainfall warnings across most of B.C.’s coast and parts of the Interior, along with high streamflow advisories.

The stormy weather resulted in the cancellation of dozens of BC Ferries sailings, although departures of some major routes resumed in the afternoon.

Rainfall warnings were lifted later Friday, but wind warnings remained in effect for areas stretching from northern Vancouver Island to northeastern B.C.

Environment Canada said “damaging winds” were expected in parts of the central Interior and the Peace region, with potential for localized gusts reaching speeds of 100 to 120 km/h.

The BC River Forecast Centre has warned of a series of atmospheric river systems expected to bring heavy rain into next week.

High streamflow advisories cover most of Vancouver Island and the south and central coasts, including the Sea to Sky region, along with parts of the Fraser Valley.

Officials were monitoring the situation in Zeballos, “conducting regular checks,” Logan said.

Zeballos is a picturesque community of about 130 residents on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.

It attracted international headlines in 2024, when a young killer whale became trapped for weeks in the nearby waters of Little Espinosa Inlet.

In addition to the evacuation orders, three properties have been placed on evacuation alert.

Pete Nelson-Smith, the village’s chief administrative officer, said in a statement that the emergency declaration could remain in place for up to 14 days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2026.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press