Radiation from Fukushima exceeds Three Mile Island
Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, crippled by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, has discharged more radiation than the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear plant in the United States, according to calculations by the central government.
It has already reached a level 6 serious accident on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). Separately, calculations made by experts place the level of soil contamination in some locations at levels comparable to those found after the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
With the Fukushima plant continuing to release radiation, there is the danger that the contaminated land will be unusable for many years. To calculate the spread of radiation using the System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information, the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan estimates the discharge rate for radioactive iodine per hour from the Fukushima plant based on radiation measurements taken at various locations.
Using those figures to make a simple calculation of the amount of discharge between 6 a.m. March 12 and midnight Wednesday results in figures between 30,000 and 110,000 terabecquerels. Tera is a prefix meaning 1 trillion.
The INES defines a level 7 major accident such as Chernobyl as one in which radiation of more than several tens of thousands of terabecquerels is released. The Fukushima accident is already at a level 6, which is defined as having a radiation discharge of several thousands to several tens of thousands of terabecquerels.
The discharge of radioactive iodine at the Chernobyl accident was said to be about 1.8 million terabecquerels. The Three Mile Island accident, which was considered the second-worst accident until now, had only a limited discharge of radioactive iodine into the outside atmosphere, but was classified as a level 5 accident because of the considerable damage done to the core.
In a provisional assessment made March 18 by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the situation at the No. 1 to No. 3 reactors at Fukushima was classified as a level 5 accident, but if estimates of the radiation discharged should progress, there could be the possibility of a revision in that assessment.
Meanwhile, calculations of soil contamination by experts have already produced results that are at the same level as for Chernobyl. Cesium-137 levels of 163,000 becquerels per kilogram of soil was detected in Iitate, Fukushima Prefecture, about 40 kilometers northwest of the Fukushima plant, on March 20. That was the highest figure in the prefecture.
According to Tetsuji Imanaka, an associate professor of nuclear engineering at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, if the Iitate figure was converted to one square meter, the figure would be 3.26 million becquerels. After the Chernobyl accident, residents who lived in regions with cesium levels of 550,000 becquerels ore more per square meter were forcibly moved elsewhere.
"Iitate has reached a contamination level in which evacuation is necessary," Imanaka said. "Radiation is still being released from the Fukushima plant. The areas of high contamination can be considered to be on par with Chernobyl."
Residents who were forced to move after the Chernobyl accident were believed to have been exposed to an average of about 50 millisieverts of radiation. However, a study of the health of residents who lived for many years on contaminated land found that the incidence of leukemia among adults did not increase.
The increase in thyroid gland cancer was believed due to internal radiation exposure among children who drank milk contaminated by radioactive iodine when they lived in areas close to Chernobyl. The accumulated radiation level at Iitate as of Thursday afternoon was 3.7 millisieverts.
Shigenobu Nagataki, professor emeritus at Nagasaki University, who specializes in radiation medicine, said, "Because there were no other health problems after the Chernobyl accident besides thyroid gland cancer among children, it is unlikely (that the situation in Fukushima) would lead immediately to health problems. In areas where high levels of contamination were detected, measures should be considered after holding sufficient discussions with residents based on the data that is available."
Meanwhile, in Vienna, Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Asahi Shimbun that while the situation at the Fukushima No. 1 plant was still serious, it was too early to compare it to Chernobyl.
Asked about radiation found in agricultural produce and drinking water, Amano said, "The circumstances are serious based on the standards used in Japan."However, touching upon analyses and predictions about radiation contamination that have related the Fukushima incident to Chernobyl, Amano said, "The studies are being conducted based on very limited data and are very extreme."
Amano also referred to debate in other nations about their own nuclear energy policy. "There is no change to the fact that nuclear power is a stable and clean form of energy," he said, indicating his hope that other nations would respond in a calm manner.
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It has already reached a level 6 serious accident on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). Separately, calculations made by experts place the level of soil contamination in some locations at levels comparable to those found after the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
With the Fukushima plant continuing to release radiation, there is the danger that the contaminated land will be unusable for many years. To calculate the spread of radiation using the System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information, the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan estimates the discharge rate for radioactive iodine per hour from the Fukushima plant based on radiation measurements taken at various locations.
Using those figures to make a simple calculation of the amount of discharge between 6 a.m. March 12 and midnight Wednesday results in figures between 30,000 and 110,000 terabecquerels. Tera is a prefix meaning 1 trillion.
The INES defines a level 7 major accident such as Chernobyl as one in which radiation of more than several tens of thousands of terabecquerels is released. The Fukushima accident is already at a level 6, which is defined as having a radiation discharge of several thousands to several tens of thousands of terabecquerels.
The discharge of radioactive iodine at the Chernobyl accident was said to be about 1.8 million terabecquerels. The Three Mile Island accident, which was considered the second-worst accident until now, had only a limited discharge of radioactive iodine into the outside atmosphere, but was classified as a level 5 accident because of the considerable damage done to the core.
In a provisional assessment made March 18 by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the situation at the No. 1 to No. 3 reactors at Fukushima was classified as a level 5 accident, but if estimates of the radiation discharged should progress, there could be the possibility of a revision in that assessment.
Meanwhile, calculations of soil contamination by experts have already produced results that are at the same level as for Chernobyl. Cesium-137 levels of 163,000 becquerels per kilogram of soil was detected in Iitate, Fukushima Prefecture, about 40 kilometers northwest of the Fukushima plant, on March 20. That was the highest figure in the prefecture.
According to Tetsuji Imanaka, an associate professor of nuclear engineering at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, if the Iitate figure was converted to one square meter, the figure would be 3.26 million becquerels. After the Chernobyl accident, residents who lived in regions with cesium levels of 550,000 becquerels ore more per square meter were forcibly moved elsewhere.
"Iitate has reached a contamination level in which evacuation is necessary," Imanaka said. "Radiation is still being released from the Fukushima plant. The areas of high contamination can be considered to be on par with Chernobyl."
Residents who were forced to move after the Chernobyl accident were believed to have been exposed to an average of about 50 millisieverts of radiation. However, a study of the health of residents who lived for many years on contaminated land found that the incidence of leukemia among adults did not increase.
The increase in thyroid gland cancer was believed due to internal radiation exposure among children who drank milk contaminated by radioactive iodine when they lived in areas close to Chernobyl. The accumulated radiation level at Iitate as of Thursday afternoon was 3.7 millisieverts.
Shigenobu Nagataki, professor emeritus at Nagasaki University, who specializes in radiation medicine, said, "Because there were no other health problems after the Chernobyl accident besides thyroid gland cancer among children, it is unlikely (that the situation in Fukushima) would lead immediately to health problems. In areas where high levels of contamination were detected, measures should be considered after holding sufficient discussions with residents based on the data that is available."
Meanwhile, in Vienna, Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Asahi Shimbun that while the situation at the Fukushima No. 1 plant was still serious, it was too early to compare it to Chernobyl.
Asked about radiation found in agricultural produce and drinking water, Amano said, "The circumstances are serious based on the standards used in Japan."However, touching upon analyses and predictions about radiation contamination that have related the Fukushima incident to Chernobyl, Amano said, "The studies are being conducted based on very limited data and are very extreme."
Amano also referred to debate in other nations about their own nuclear energy policy. "There is no change to the fact that nuclear power is a stable and clean form of energy," he said, indicating his hope that other nations would respond in a calm manner.
Stanford proposes New York island campus
Stanford University has proposed a research and engineering campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City in an effort to create another high-tech hub a la Silicon Valley. If the school's plan - one of 18 submitted for four different city-owned sites - is selected later this year, it would be Stanford's only major campus outside of Palo Alto, and the first to bestow full graduate degrees.
The complex could cost as much as $1 billion, house up to 2,200 graduate students, 100 faculty members, as well as labs, offices and recreation facilities, university officials said.
"New York City is a place of innovation, creativity and a magnet for talent from around the globe, just as the Bay Area is," said Stanford spokeswoman Lisa Lapin. "The idea is - can Stanford be a catalyst for high-tech industry as it has been in the Bay Area?"
Stanford, whose proposal is boldly titled "Stanford University and New York City: Silicon Valley II," will face stiff competition from around the world. Colleges from Finland, India, Switzerland, Canada, Israel, England and Korea - not to mention Ivy Leaguers Cornell and Columbia - each responded to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's request "for expressions of interest."
The city, known for its finance, media and arts industries, is pushing to diversify its economy and boost its portfolio of technology firms. In December, Bloomberg solicited proposals for science and engineering centers for several sites, including the Navy Hospital Campus at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Goldwater Hospital Campus on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, several areas of Governor's Island and Farm Colony on Staten Island.
Lapin said Stanford chose to focus on Roosevelt Island - a 2-mile-long sliver of land in the East River between Manhattan and Queens served by a popular tram, not unlike a ski hill gondola - for its proximity to Wall Street's movers and shakers. The island has about 9,000 residents living mostly in apartments. The new high-tech campus would occupy property at the southern end of the islet.
More detailed architectural and financial plans are due from the applicants this summer. The city is expected to make a decision by the end of the year. If Stanford's bid receives the go-ahead, the school plans to open in fall 2015.
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The complex could cost as much as $1 billion, house up to 2,200 graduate students, 100 faculty members, as well as labs, offices and recreation facilities, university officials said.
"New York City is a place of innovation, creativity and a magnet for talent from around the globe, just as the Bay Area is," said Stanford spokeswoman Lisa Lapin. "The idea is - can Stanford be a catalyst for high-tech industry as it has been in the Bay Area?"
Stanford, whose proposal is boldly titled "Stanford University and New York City: Silicon Valley II," will face stiff competition from around the world. Colleges from Finland, India, Switzerland, Canada, Israel, England and Korea - not to mention Ivy Leaguers Cornell and Columbia - each responded to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's request "for expressions of interest."
The city, known for its finance, media and arts industries, is pushing to diversify its economy and boost its portfolio of technology firms. In December, Bloomberg solicited proposals for science and engineering centers for several sites, including the Navy Hospital Campus at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Goldwater Hospital Campus on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, several areas of Governor's Island and Farm Colony on Staten Island.
Lapin said Stanford chose to focus on Roosevelt Island - a 2-mile-long sliver of land in the East River between Manhattan and Queens served by a popular tram, not unlike a ski hill gondola - for its proximity to Wall Street's movers and shakers. The island has about 9,000 residents living mostly in apartments. The new high-tech campus would occupy property at the southern end of the islet.
More detailed architectural and financial plans are due from the applicants this summer. The city is expected to make a decision by the end of the year. If Stanford's bid receives the go-ahead, the school plans to open in fall 2015.
Three Mile Island revisited
It's now 30 years since the United States’ worst nuclear crisis – the partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island reactor in Pennsylvania.
Dick Thornburgh was the state's governor at the time and was faced with conflicting reports and decisions over evacuations. He later went on to become the US attorney general under presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior. He spoke to North America correspondent Lisa Millar. DICK THORNBURGH: Well there's an eerie similarity between what's happening in Japan today and what we had to face in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in March of 1979.
I was the Governor of the Commonwealth at that time and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurred after I'd been in office for about 72 days and we had similar challenges to what they're facing in Japan so there's a strong sense of déjà vu when I read about what's going on there.
LISA MILLAR: And what were those challenges in perhaps the first 24-48 hours?
DICK THORNBURGH: Within the first 24 to 48 hours the major problem was getting a handle on the facts. There was great difficulty in obtaining reliable sources as to what was going on inside the reactor and how to best handle the prospect of a nuclear meltdown.
We relied initially on the utility company that ran the reactor but very quickly their credibility dissolved. They gave us information that was false or incomplete so we had to set about on our own to get alternative sources of information and there were many of them out there, a lot of self-styled experts, people who would tell you more than they knew or less than they knew.
And it was a very confusing period for about the first two days following the accident and then we had the arrival at my request from president Carter of a personal emissary Harold Denton from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who was able to express the condition of the reactor in plain English and empower us to take the steps that were necessary to end the emergency.
LISA MILLAR: And that would certainly seem to be the problem for Japan at the moment, that there are so many inconsistent reports.
DICK THORNBURGH: I'm not surprised. This is an evolved technology, this is an invisible kind of threat.
It's not like a fire or a flood where you can see where the threat is coming from. Here it's a matter of eventually trying to get a cold shutdown of the reactor that is to reduce the pressure on the containment building and to begin somehow to circulate the water necessary to prevent the uncovering of the radio-active core.
That's difficult because of the loss of power, the backup generators have a limited life in the batteries that they've used so there's still a challenge remaining to put this on a path to successful shutdown.
LISA MILLAR: Looking back now 30 years, would you have done anything differently in those first couple of days?
DICK THORNBURGH: I'm sure there are a lot of things we would have done differently but in the final analysis the principle decision that was my responsibility was whether or not undertaking massive evacuation of up to a quarter of a million people out of the area where the reactor was located.
We didn't want to do that without real cause because evacuations have known risks to them when you're moving people who are elderly or people who are in intensive care units or babies in incubators, I mean the list goes on, it's a high risk operation and to do that unnecessarily would be a tragic mistake.
So our job really as I said to get the facts to carefully monitor what was going on and I'm confident we made the right decision and subsequent studies have confirmed that there were no adverse health or environmental consequences flowing from the Three Mile Island accident.
LISA MILLAR: And just finally what advice then would you be giving for authorities in Japan as they try to grapple with this crisis?
DICK THORNBURGH: I think the principle advice goes back to what I stated was the major challenge at the outset and that is, you've got to get facts that you're sure of. You can be the best decision maker in the world and if you're operating on facts that are incorrect or are untrue you're not going to make a good decision.
So it's a constant process of review and monitoring and in fact in some ways I made it, I used to be a prosecutor and I ended up cross examining a number of the people that we had to look to for sources.
But you've got the Marshall as well, all the expertise within the scientific community and the technical community because these are challenges that occur so infrequently and are so idiosyncratic in their nature that you really, there's no play book you can pull down to say how to handle a nuclear reactor going bad on you. ELEANOR HALL: That’s former Pennsylvania governor Dick Thornburgh speaking to Lisa Millar.
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Dick Thornburgh was the state's governor at the time and was faced with conflicting reports and decisions over evacuations. He later went on to become the US attorney general under presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior. He spoke to North America correspondent Lisa Millar. DICK THORNBURGH: Well there's an eerie similarity between what's happening in Japan today and what we had to face in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in March of 1979.
I was the Governor of the Commonwealth at that time and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurred after I'd been in office for about 72 days and we had similar challenges to what they're facing in Japan so there's a strong sense of déjà vu when I read about what's going on there.
LISA MILLAR: And what were those challenges in perhaps the first 24-48 hours?
DICK THORNBURGH: Within the first 24 to 48 hours the major problem was getting a handle on the facts. There was great difficulty in obtaining reliable sources as to what was going on inside the reactor and how to best handle the prospect of a nuclear meltdown.
We relied initially on the utility company that ran the reactor but very quickly their credibility dissolved. They gave us information that was false or incomplete so we had to set about on our own to get alternative sources of information and there were many of them out there, a lot of self-styled experts, people who would tell you more than they knew or less than they knew.
And it was a very confusing period for about the first two days following the accident and then we had the arrival at my request from president Carter of a personal emissary Harold Denton from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who was able to express the condition of the reactor in plain English and empower us to take the steps that were necessary to end the emergency.
LISA MILLAR: And that would certainly seem to be the problem for Japan at the moment, that there are so many inconsistent reports.
DICK THORNBURGH: I'm not surprised. This is an evolved technology, this is an invisible kind of threat.
It's not like a fire or a flood where you can see where the threat is coming from. Here it's a matter of eventually trying to get a cold shutdown of the reactor that is to reduce the pressure on the containment building and to begin somehow to circulate the water necessary to prevent the uncovering of the radio-active core.
That's difficult because of the loss of power, the backup generators have a limited life in the batteries that they've used so there's still a challenge remaining to put this on a path to successful shutdown.
LISA MILLAR: Looking back now 30 years, would you have done anything differently in those first couple of days?
DICK THORNBURGH: I'm sure there are a lot of things we would have done differently but in the final analysis the principle decision that was my responsibility was whether or not undertaking massive evacuation of up to a quarter of a million people out of the area where the reactor was located.
We didn't want to do that without real cause because evacuations have known risks to them when you're moving people who are elderly or people who are in intensive care units or babies in incubators, I mean the list goes on, it's a high risk operation and to do that unnecessarily would be a tragic mistake.
So our job really as I said to get the facts to carefully monitor what was going on and I'm confident we made the right decision and subsequent studies have confirmed that there were no adverse health or environmental consequences flowing from the Three Mile Island accident.
LISA MILLAR: And just finally what advice then would you be giving for authorities in Japan as they try to grapple with this crisis?
DICK THORNBURGH: I think the principle advice goes back to what I stated was the major challenge at the outset and that is, you've got to get facts that you're sure of. You can be the best decision maker in the world and if you're operating on facts that are incorrect or are untrue you're not going to make a good decision.
So it's a constant process of review and monitoring and in fact in some ways I made it, I used to be a prosecutor and I ended up cross examining a number of the people that we had to look to for sources.
But you've got the Marshall as well, all the expertise within the scientific community and the technical community because these are challenges that occur so infrequently and are so idiosyncratic in their nature that you really, there's no play book you can pull down to say how to handle a nuclear reactor going bad on you. ELEANOR HALL: That’s former Pennsylvania governor Dick Thornburgh speaking to Lisa Millar.
Wolfe Island makes top 10
It's a good morning on Wolfe Island. The community placed among the CBC's final top 10 contenders for this year's Kraft Hockeyville competition, placing it in the running for a $100,000 prize.
More than 150 Wolfe Island residents and supporters crowded into the Scared Heart Catholic School gymnasium at 8 p.m. Tuesday night to watch the results show on CBC. "This is fantastic," said Paul Hogan, a member of the Wolfe Island Hockeyville campaign. "This is a great thing for our community.
The Islanders won their place from a list of 278 communities across every province and territory in Canada, selected by a team of executives from CBC, Kraft Canada, and the NHL. They'll now contend for a place in the top five against nine other cities, based on votes cast by CBC viewers from today until March 13.
Wolfe Island resident Tony Vigar registered the community in the competition at the end of December and said she's anxious now to make it into the top five.
"Last year's winner (the city of Dundas) got 1.4 million votes," she said. "We're a community of 1,200."
Fellow campaign worker Michelle Joy echoes Vigar's concern.
"Even if we all did nothing but vote over and over for the five days straight we still wouldn't get it. So we need to get the word out to Kingston, Napanee, to anyone across Canada that knows of Wolfe Island."
Islanders have their e-mail lists ready, Joy said, plus they will be trying to spread the word and win voters using Facebook and Twitter.
"We're hoping for the viral marketing effect to get going."
Promotion at last Sunday's Kingston Frontenacs game, broadcast on COGECO, also really bolstered the cause.
"The Frontenacs came out for Wolfe Island Hockeyville Day last week, their organization has been really supportive," Joy said. "No matter what we needed — whether it was flyers circulated at games or a booth set up, they were on board."
The top five will be announced March 19. Three more days of voting follow that, before the original committee of executives makes the final call on a winner. The islanders would like to use the $100,000 to add cooling pipes and a roof to their outdoor ice pad, currently Wolfe Island's main arena. They've been working hard since December to showcase their community's spirit, originality, and love of hockey for the national competition.
CBC asks registrants to make their case at the Hockeyville website. The islanders have posted 16 videos, 166 personal hockey anecdotes, and 335 images, as well as organized several community events in the lead up to last night's announcement.
"Everybody just jumped in to this contest with both feet. It's exploded," Joy said. "It's been all-consuming. I was born and raised on this island, 42 years ago, and I have never seen the community come together around an initiative like this before."
Several people at Tuesday night's screening noted that the community was divided over controversial wind farm developments on the island, but the Hockeyville competition has brought them back together. Wolfe Islanders have hosted hockey tournaments, designed and sold T-shirt and hats, and even thrown a parade.
CBC contacted the campaign committee last month to let it know it had the network's attention, and that representatives would be coming to the island to screen. The pressure is really on now, Vigar said as they come into the final round.
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More than 150 Wolfe Island residents and supporters crowded into the Scared Heart Catholic School gymnasium at 8 p.m. Tuesday night to watch the results show on CBC. "This is fantastic," said Paul Hogan, a member of the Wolfe Island Hockeyville campaign. "This is a great thing for our community.
The Islanders won their place from a list of 278 communities across every province and territory in Canada, selected by a team of executives from CBC, Kraft Canada, and the NHL. They'll now contend for a place in the top five against nine other cities, based on votes cast by CBC viewers from today until March 13.
Wolfe Island resident Tony Vigar registered the community in the competition at the end of December and said she's anxious now to make it into the top five.
"Last year's winner (the city of Dundas) got 1.4 million votes," she said. "We're a community of 1,200."
Fellow campaign worker Michelle Joy echoes Vigar's concern.
"Even if we all did nothing but vote over and over for the five days straight we still wouldn't get it. So we need to get the word out to Kingston, Napanee, to anyone across Canada that knows of Wolfe Island."
Islanders have their e-mail lists ready, Joy said, plus they will be trying to spread the word and win voters using Facebook and Twitter.
"We're hoping for the viral marketing effect to get going."
Promotion at last Sunday's Kingston Frontenacs game, broadcast on COGECO, also really bolstered the cause.
"The Frontenacs came out for Wolfe Island Hockeyville Day last week, their organization has been really supportive," Joy said. "No matter what we needed — whether it was flyers circulated at games or a booth set up, they were on board."
The top five will be announced March 19. Three more days of voting follow that, before the original committee of executives makes the final call on a winner. The islanders would like to use the $100,000 to add cooling pipes and a roof to their outdoor ice pad, currently Wolfe Island's main arena. They've been working hard since December to showcase their community's spirit, originality, and love of hockey for the national competition.
CBC asks registrants to make their case at the Hockeyville website. The islanders have posted 16 videos, 166 personal hockey anecdotes, and 335 images, as well as organized several community events in the lead up to last night's announcement.
"Everybody just jumped in to this contest with both feet. It's exploded," Joy said. "It's been all-consuming. I was born and raised on this island, 42 years ago, and I have never seen the community come together around an initiative like this before."
Several people at Tuesday night's screening noted that the community was divided over controversial wind farm developments on the island, but the Hockeyville competition has brought them back together. Wolfe Islanders have hosted hockey tournaments, designed and sold T-shirt and hats, and even thrown a parade.
CBC contacted the campaign committee last month to let it know it had the network's attention, and that representatives would be coming to the island to screen. The pressure is really on now, Vigar said as they come into the final round.
Power outages, ferries cancelled as storm batters parts of B.C.
A wind storm that hit B.C.’s southwest coast on Wednesday morning has left tens of thousands without power, caused several ferry cancellations, and disappointed a number of Sarah McLachlan fans.
As of 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, BC Hydro reports that power is out for 3,000 customers in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, and nearly 37,000 customers on Vancouver Island.
“This storm is similar to one that hit us last April,” said Ted Olynyk of BC Hydro. “With that storm, we had over 100,000 customers impacted on the south-coast, most on Vancouver Island.”
BC Ferries cancelled several sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island because of the high winds. As of 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, service is slowly beginning to resume, with the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay 3 p.m. ferry scheduled to leave on time. Travelers should continue to check the BC Ferries website or call 1-888-223-3779, as sailings remain weather dependent.
Sarah McLachlan’s Wednesday night concert in Kelowna has been postponed because of the ferry cancellations. Those affected are asked to hold onto their tickets until the show is rescheduled.
Schools in Comox Valley closed on Wednesday morning, due to snowy and wet road conditions and concerns about wind-related power outages.
Grouse Mountain, also closed because of the wind, is expected to reopen at 3:00 p.m.
TransLink is bracing for the storm, though Vancouver transit is running smoothly so far. Spokesman Drew Snider said the main concerns are the Skybridge and above-ground Canada Line stations, which may be hit by debris. The SeaBus hasn’t been closed due to weather in 30 years, but Mr. Snider is ruling nothing out.
Environment Canada is predicting sustained southerly winds of 70 to 80 km/h, with peak gusts of up to 100 km/h for the inner south-coast. Slightly stronger winds are expected to hit west and northern Vancouver Island, with peak gusts between 110-140 km/h developing throughout the morning.
The weather agency expects the winds to slow down by the afternoon in Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver, lasting well into the evening over the central coast and Northern Vancouver Island.
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As of 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, BC Hydro reports that power is out for 3,000 customers in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, and nearly 37,000 customers on Vancouver Island.
“This storm is similar to one that hit us last April,” said Ted Olynyk of BC Hydro. “With that storm, we had over 100,000 customers impacted on the south-coast, most on Vancouver Island.”
BC Ferries cancelled several sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island because of the high winds. As of 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, service is slowly beginning to resume, with the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay 3 p.m. ferry scheduled to leave on time. Travelers should continue to check the BC Ferries website or call 1-888-223-3779, as sailings remain weather dependent.
Sarah McLachlan’s Wednesday night concert in Kelowna has been postponed because of the ferry cancellations. Those affected are asked to hold onto their tickets until the show is rescheduled.
Schools in Comox Valley closed on Wednesday morning, due to snowy and wet road conditions and concerns about wind-related power outages.
Grouse Mountain, also closed because of the wind, is expected to reopen at 3:00 p.m.
TransLink is bracing for the storm, though Vancouver transit is running smoothly so far. Spokesman Drew Snider said the main concerns are the Skybridge and above-ground Canada Line stations, which may be hit by debris. The SeaBus hasn’t been closed due to weather in 30 years, but Mr. Snider is ruling nothing out.
Environment Canada is predicting sustained southerly winds of 70 to 80 km/h, with peak gusts of up to 100 km/h for the inner south-coast. Slightly stronger winds are expected to hit west and northern Vancouver Island, with peak gusts between 110-140 km/h developing throughout the morning.
The weather agency expects the winds to slow down by the afternoon in Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver, lasting well into the evening over the central coast and Northern Vancouver Island.
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