Atmospheric Rivers & Heavy Rain in Burnaby: Protecting Your Home from Water Damage

Burnaby’s wet season runs roughly from October through March, and it’s getting more intense. Atmospheric rivers, long plumes of moisture from the Pacific, can dump days of heavy rain on Metro Vancouver, as the November 2021 event showed across southern BC. When the ground is already saturated, that water has to go somewhere, and too often it ends up in basements, crawlspaces and ground-floor units. Here’s how heavy rain damages Burnaby homes and what to do about it.

How Heavy Rain Gets Into Burnaby Homes

Overwhelmed perimeter drains

Most Burnaby houses rely on perimeter drain tile around the foundation. When it’s clogged with roots or silt, or collapsed, groundwater builds up against the walls and pushes through cracks and the floor-wall joint. See perimeter drain problems.

Hillside runoff

Neighbourhoods on slopes, such as Capitol Hill, Burnaby Mountain, Sperling-Duthie, Forest Glen and parts of South Slope, see surface water running downhill toward homes, especially those with back yards sloping toward the house.

Clogged gutters and downspouts

Fall leaves plus heavy rain mean overflowing gutters that dump water right at the foundation.

Sewer and storm surcharge

During extreme rain, the system can back up through basement floor drains. That’s Category 3 water.

Building envelope leaks

Wind-driven rain finds its way through failed window seals, balcony doors, cladding and roofing, a familiar story in Metro Vancouver after the leaky condo era.

During an Atmospheric River: What to Do

1. Check the basement often, especially floor drains, the corners and around windows.
2. Clear gutters and catch basins near your property if it’s safe.
3. Move valuables up off basement floors.
4. If water enters: stay clear of electrical, photograph everything and call for help early, because restoration companies get very busy during big storms.
5. If water is coming up the floor drain, stop using water in the house.

After the Rain: Restoration

We extract the water, map moisture with meters and thermal imaging, remove what can’t be dried, apply antimicrobial and run industrial drying until materials are verified dry. In Burnaby’s humid winter air, closed-system drying with dehumidifiers is essential; opening windows just brings in more moisture. Then we rebuild. Typical costs are in our Burnaby cost guide.

Is Rain Damage Covered by Insurance?

It depends on how the water got in. Rain through a storm-damaged roof is often covered. Groundwater seepage and overland flooding are commonly excluded unless you have specific coverage. Sewer backup usually needs its own endorsement. See our BC insurance guide.

Get Ready Before the Wet Season

• Clean gutters and downspouts in October and again mid-season.
• Extend downspouts away from the foundation.
• Have your perimeter drains camera-inspected and flushed.
• Check that the yard slopes away from the house.
• Clear window wells and stairwell drains at basement entries.
• Keep basement belongings in plastic bins on shelves.
• Install leak sensors in the basement.

Living in a basement suite? See basement suite water damage. Worried about mould after a wet winter? See mould in Burnaby homes.