B.C. floods: Abbotsford got 540 mm of rain in November, shattering previous record
With a large portion of the City of Abbotsford still underwater Wednesday, monthly precipitation totals confirmed what was easy to see on the ground: The city got a historic amount of rain last month.
Approximately 540 millimetres of rain fell on Abbotsford in the month of November, Mayor Henry Braun said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
"For those of you that are of my generation, that's just over two feet of water layered over our entire city," Braun said.
The total for the month was 99 millimetres higher than the previous record, according to Armel Castellan, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"(It's) a huge departure from the previous record," Castellan said.
Braun said the November rainfall total equates to roughly one-third of the amount of precipitation Abbotsford typically sees over the course of an entire year.
Much of that rainfall has ended up in Sumas Prairie, the eastern portion of which has been underwater since the devastating atmospheric river that struck the province in mid-November.
Floods aren’t the only concern stemming from the recent heavy rain and saturated ground. A townhouse complex off Whatcom Road on Lower Sumas Mountain is dealing with the aftermath of a landslide on the weekend, which stopped short of a row of homes.
Resident Colin Lundrigan said those units remain on evacuation order for now, while others are on alert.
“We need to be ready to leave at any moment,” he said. “We thought we were in a pretty good position, but clearly that isn’t the case for anyone living in British Columbia at this time, and particularly not in the Fraser Valley.”
He said concern also remains about how more rain could impact a large boulder near the top of the slope.
“We’ll just hope that Mother Nature cooperates ... and we secure what’s above us here, and we can kind of get through this before the colder weather comes,” he said, and added work crews and volunteers have helped with clearing debris and sandbagging.
“We’ve hopefully dodged a bullet here, and are far better off than so many other families. We just have to be thankful at least so far the damage has been minimal and steps are now being taken to remedy the situation.”
On Wednesday, Braun reiterated that the former Sumas Lake, which makes up the eastern portion of the prairie, would likely remain flooded "for weeks."
Other areas - including Vye and Whatcom roads and a portion of Highway 1 through the city - will drain sooner, but the mayor said there's no exact timetable for when they'll reopen.
"I don't have a projection for when that will be," Braun said. "I'm hoping it's days."
The mayor singled out those three roads as essential to allowing the city to begin helping evacuated residents return home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Monday proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Bill C-70 proposes to enact a new 'Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act.'