Abbotsford bracing for potential flooding as atmospheric river delivers deluge
The City of Abbotsford is taking steps to help residents protect their homes from another round of flooding as a weather system pushing in off the Pacific Ocean delivers a supersoaker rain event.
The city has provided thousands of pre-filled sandbags for residents, which can be picked up for free at Albert Dyck Park or in the Village of Clayburn.
Rob Pollock was loading up his truck Wednesday morning because he was hoping to shore up defences around his home after several inches of water flooded in during the series of atmospheric rivers that drenched the Fraser Valley in November.
“We just don’t want to take any more chances,” he said. “Our house has been half-remediated. So, we just want to try and prevent any further damage.”
Because his house is on a flood plain, he’s not covered by insurance — and he’s still waiting to see if he qualifies for any disaster assistance money from the province.
In the area around Clayburn Village, residents who were also flooded in November are anxiously watching the water rise.
A creek that spilled its banks then is already lapping at the base of a 100-metre-long wall built by members of the Canadian Armed Forces to protect homes from further damage.
In the southern part of the city, close to the Sumas border crossing, full ditches threaten to overtake roads and have already encroached on private property in places.
In neighbourhoods at higher elevation, deep snow still surrounds many houses and could make its way into basements if it melts quickly during this week’s rain storms.
And along the Trans-Canada Highway, digital signs warn of pooling water and the risk of more flooding in a community still cleaning up from the November storms.
“Certainly, we want to try and be as prepared as we can,” said Pollock as he drove away with his truck full of sandbags.
He and many others will be keeping an eye on the flood forecast for Washington State’s Nooksack River in the coming days.
When it flowed over the border in November, water filled the Sumas Prairie and forced evacuations, killed hundreds of thousands of farm animals, and shut down Highway 1 for more than a week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.