Coquitlam residents are encouraged to take precautions with strong winds and heavy rain expected on Wednesday.
COQUITLAM, B.C., December 24, 2024 – Coquitlam residents are encouraged to take precautions with strong winds and heavy rain expected on Wednesday, as Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special weather statement.
Potential impacts could include downed power lines and power outages, or localized flooding. Residents should take precautions and be prepared to help keep their home and family safe:
- Secure anything that might blow away including garbage carts and lawn furniture;
- Prepare an emergency plan and kit for your family so you are ready in the case of a power outage or any emergency conditions; and
- Keep the catch basins near your property and gutters on buildings clear of leaves and debris. Visit coquitlam.ca/AdoptaCatchBasin to view a catch basins map, and considering adopting one near you.
City Taking Preventative Measures
The City is taking proactive measures and has completed work to help manage potential impacts including:
- Ensuring that critical catch basins, intakes and ditches are clear and in good condition;
- Sweeping and clearing debris from roads;
- Clearing vegetation and sediment out of watercourses to increase storage and capacity; and
- Scheduling crews to work throughout the event, keeping infrastructure clear and responding to emerging situations as needed.
Out in the Community
- Be watchful of trees that have fallen, and postpone walking or hiking through forested parks and trails, in particular pathways along ravines or steeper slopes due to increased landslide risk.
- Stay clear of fast-flowing rivers and creek, including potentially unstable riverbanks.
- When driving, watch for falling trees or branches and avoid driving through pooling water on roads and pathways - do not wade through floodwater.
- Motorists and pedestrians should exercise extreme caution when traveling under these conditions, and treat any intersection with a traffic signal that is blank or flashing as an “all-way stop.”
- Never touch hanging power lines.
- Call 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency.
Reporting Power Outage, Debris or Damaged Trees on Roadways or Public Property
To report a tree on City property that appears to have suffered storm damage, please contact Coquitlam Parks & Facilities Customer Service at 604-927-6300 or parkscustomerservice@coquitlam.ca.
To report debris on roadways, please contact the City’s Engineering Customer Service line at 604-927-3500 or epw@coquitlam.ca.
To report a power outage or hanging power line, call 1-800-BCHYDRO (1-800-224-9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile. To monitor updates on current power updates, visit bchydro.com/outages.
Report emergency City drainage problems to Coquitlam’s Engineering and Public Works line at 604-927-3500 or by completing our Online Service Request form, which are both available and monitored 24 hours a day.
Media contact:
media@coquitlam.ca
Media Request form: coquitlam.ca/MediaRequests
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.