Abbotsford mayor 'extremely concerned' about potential for flooding from U.S. this weekend
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun says his city remains "extremely concerned" about the possibility of floodwaters from the United States arriving this weekend.
During a news conference Saturday afternoon, Braun said he spoke with officials in Whatcom County, Wash. Saturday morning to discuss flooding from the Nooksack River.
He said the U.S. officials told him it's "challenging" to predict how severe the flooding from the river will be during the current storm because of infrastructure damage and sediment buildup.
Braun said he's confident Abbotsford's dike and pump infrastructure can handle the 120 millimetres of rain that are forecast to fall on the city by Sunday morning. He's less certain how the city will fare if the Nooksack floods - and how severe the Nooksack flooding might be.
"We have done everything we can in a very short period of time," Braun said.
Washington officials have warned that the Nooksack is expected to overflow its banks and flood the town of Everson this weekend.
Floodwaters may also make their way to the U.S. city of Sumas, which would then mean more flooding north of the border in Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie.
Much of the prairie has been underwater for nearly two weeks, since a devastating storm sent floodwater from the Nooksack north earlier this month.
On Saturday, Canadian Forces soldiers stacked sandbags along a rail line in Abbotsford near the U.S. border in preparation for the potential flood.
Braun began his remarks with some good news, saying the situation on Sumas Prairie had remained stable, with the Barrowtown Pump Station - which drains the former Sumas Lake into the Fraser River - operating at full capacity.
"Last night we saw floodwater levels drop in the Sumas Prairie lake bottom by nine inches in 24 hours," the mayor said. "That may not be the case for today into tomorrow."
He warned residents of Abbotsford's Huntingdon village - who are on evacuation alert - that they may be in the path of floodwaters from the Nooksack.
"Prior to an evacuation order being issued, we will be doing our very best to provide residents with as much advance notice as possible," Braun said. "However, residents still need to be prepared to leave immediately as we may only receive limited notice due to changing conditions."
The mayor said residents of the Huntingdon area could go to Huntingdon Park to pick up sandbagging supplies for their homes. Such supplies are also available for residents of other parts of the city at Albert Dyck Park, Braun said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.