Michael Olson (left) and Jag Sekhon clear one of several Rock City Rd. storm drains Friday, January 17. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

meltdown

City of Nanaimo crews attack snow-packed drains to ease flood threat

Jan 17, 2020 | 9:24 PM

NANAIMO — Warming temperatures following a week-long deep freeze with heavy snowfall has City of Nanaimo crews busy clearing storm drains to prevent flooding.

Wayne Roulston, the City’s general foreman of wastewater collection, said low-lying areas will likely be flooded in coming days.

“You can easily have a flooded home that goes down your driveway, you’ve got flooding on the road which can cause hydro-planing,” Roulston told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Roulston said the City received more than 15 calls of pooling water by Friday, January 17.

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City crews are now out clearing curbside storm drains buried beneath snow to alleviate flooding issues. More than 13,500 storm drains are located on about 600 kilometers of roadway in Nanaimo.

Roulston said primary and emergency routes top their drain clearing to-do list, followed by the downtown core and all other areas of concern around Nanaimo.

With so much snow, City workers have to use a metal detector to actually find the metal grates on the drains.

Roulston said letting excess water drain from your immediate area makes a large difference.

“You’re helping your neighbour, your helping yourself, your helping the road. I commend the residents of Nanaimo, they’re doing a fantastic job of locating the basins in front of their homes.”

Roulston encouraged people concerned about flooding on their property to bring a shovel and take home free sandbags 24-hours-a-day from the public works yard on Labieux Rd.

Beginning Saturday, Jan. 18, the Environment Canada forecast called for several days of rain and daytime highs peaking at 8 degrees.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes