Police, airport and TransLink ready for storm

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The first of three storm systems bringing potentially heavy rain and intense wind has hit Metro Vancouver.

Delta Police

Sharlene Brooks, public affairs coordinator with Delta Police, says this is a good time to drive more carefully. “Heavy rainfall could cause adverse road conditions. Obviously drive well within the speed limit. Take extra time to travel. From a home front, obviously have your cell phones charged fully and have alternate light sources.”

Brooks says, in case of a power outage, a flashlight is better than a candle to avoid any unnecessary accidents. It’s also a good reminder that 911 is for emergencies only. “If you’re looking for information, go to the local media, so yes it’s important to not be afraid to call 911 in the event of an emergency, but definitely not for general enquiries.”

Delta police have published an emergency preparedness guideline.

YVR

Christopher Richards a spokesperson at Vancouver International Airport is keeping tabs on the system all weekend. “We may have to utilize the crosswind runway but being in Vancouver we certainly are prepared for heavy rain,” he says.

“No cause for any concern right now but we do advise customers to check with their airline as always before heading out to the airport. They can always find us on Twitter for any breaking updates or anything like that.”

TransLink

In a written statement to media Wednesday, TransLink says the service is taking a number of steps to ensure safety for customers and employees.

Bus

Tree branches falling into our trolley overhead wires can be an issue during high-wind conditions, so we are checking known risk locations to prepare. We also sometimes face road debris, which can result in detours for our bus service. Transit Supervisors and other support staff out on the road, such as Transit Security, proactively identify such problem areas and communicate them out. Once identified, we can react quickly by contacting the municipality responsible for clearing the trees or debris.

SkyTrain

In case of high winds, SkyTrain service over the skybridge between New Westminster and Surrey may operate at reduced speeds. If wind speeds exceed 100 kph, service could be temporarily suspended, although this is unlikely – to our knowledge we have not done this before. We’ve also proactively reached out to construction projects adjacent to SkyTrain to ensure items are properly secured, to prevent anything being blown onto the tracks.”