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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.