2006 storms in Vancouver, Canada
Encyclopedia
The 2006 storms in Vancouver were a series of storms in November 2006 that caused landslide
s into Vancouver
's three main reservoir
s. This led to the water system becoming contaminated far beyond the legal safety limit and forced the city to implement a boil water advisory
for all of the city's two-million residents for more than a week—the largest such advisory in Canadian
history. The advisory affected the local food industry, forcing supermarkets and restaurants to stop selling produce which couldn't be safely washed, and causing the majority of the city's many coffee shop
s to close. Although no dangerous bacteria
levels were observed, the water was still considered unclean and unsafe to drink, wash vegetables or brush teeth with, without boiling it first for at least 1 minute. Bottled water
was in high demand and became scarce in many areas. The storms were caused by an Aleutian
Low's steering current, which allowed low pressure area
s from the central subtropics of the North Pacific Ocean to track northeast and near areas of British Columbia
, sometimes bringing more than 100 mm (4 in) of rain from each low. The low pressure systems were replaced by an Arctic ridge, which caused temperatures to dip to -12°C.
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s into Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
's three main reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s. This led to the water system becoming contaminated far beyond the legal safety limit and forced the city to implement a boil water advisory
Boil water advisory
A boil-water advisory or boil-water order is a public health advisory or directive given by government or health authorities to communities when a community's drinking water is, or could be, contaminated by pathogens....
for all of the city's two-million residents for more than a week—the largest such advisory in Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
history. The advisory affected the local food industry, forcing supermarkets and restaurants to stop selling produce which couldn't be safely washed, and causing the majority of the city's many coffee shop
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s to close. Although no dangerous bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
levels were observed, the water was still considered unclean and unsafe to drink, wash vegetables or brush teeth with, without boiling it first for at least 1 minute. Bottled water
Bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not...
was in high demand and became scarce in many areas. The storms were caused by an Aleutian
Aleutian
Aleutian may refer to:*The Aleut people, the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, the Shumagin Islands, and the far western part of the Alaska Peninsula in Alaska and of Kamchatka Krai, Russia....
Low's steering current, which allowed low pressure area
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
s from the central subtropics of the North Pacific Ocean to track northeast and near areas of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, sometimes bringing more than 100 mm (4 in) of rain from each low. The low pressure systems were replaced by an Arctic ridge, which caused temperatures to dip to -12°C.