Lower Mainland prepares for flooding from rain, melting snow

Municipalities in the Lower Mainland are preparing for potential flooding as warm temperatures and heavy rainfall are forecast for Tuesday.

About 800 city workers in Vancouverhave been assignedto try to keep the water moving through the drains as up to 10 centimetres of rain is expected to fall by Thursday.

The rain and warmer temperatures will trigger the melting of snow and slush that have plagued most of the city's side streets.

Flooding could be more imminent in low-lying municipalities like Richmond and Delta.

Diana Waltman, city spokeswoman for Richmond, said workers have already begun to mitigate any water woes.

"Our crews are out now. They've kind of switched over from snow clearing mode to flood control mode," Waltman told CBC News on Monday night.

"We [also] have sandbagging supplies available for the public at our public works yard."

Richmond residents are advised to clear catch basins in front of their homes to minimize flood damage in case of heavy flooding.

People need to prepare for any hardship associated with flooding, said Mike Anderson of the Provincial Emergency Programat theB.C. Ministry of Public Safety.

"Be prepared for power outages and that sort of thing," Anderson said.

"We've had a number of those recently, so hopefully people have learned [their] lesson about being prepared, having some water, being prepared to have meals that don't require power to cook them and that sort of thing."