Abbotsford state of emergency extended as community braces for third atmospheric river
A local state of emergency has been extended for another week in Abbotsford, as the community braces for a third atmospheric river system to hit the region.
“We are now through the second of the three weather events that have been forecast to impact our community,” Abbotsford’s mayor Henry Braun said during a news conference Monday.
“Although the Nooksack River overflowed (Sunday), we did not see any water cross over from Washington State in the eastern portion of the Sumas Prairie,” he added. “It’s good news as that remains the most critically impacted area.”
Much of the region has been underwater for more than two weeks now, and with more bad weather on the way, residents are bracing for even more damage.
But despite heavy rain Monday morning, Abbotsford’s mayor says he’s feeling a lot more optimistic about the situation.
That’s because the water that spilled over from the Nooksack is taking much longer to arrive than he expected.
“The bulk of the water that's coming took 19 hours to get here," Mayor Henry Braun said. "So that's actually good news because we were being told to expect it within four or five hours. So what that tells me is there's less volume that came over the Nooksack that is very good for us."
In Monday’s update, Braun said he remains confident that the city has done all that can be done to keep the community safe.
“I’m hopeful that we will make it through the final weather event forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday this week with only minimal impacts,” he said.
“I am pleased to share at this point we are holding our own.”
Braun added that water levels in the flooded portion of the Sumas Prairie remain stable and that he’s confident the dikes will hold.
Aerial footage Monday showed many parts of the Sumas Prairie still under water, in some spots as deep as eight feet.
The heavy rain from the weekend’s atmospheric river caused it to rise about three inches.
The Nooksack continues to pour across the border, and the flowing water could be seen streaming across Vye Road.
In the meantime, on the U.S. side, sirens blared Monday morning to warn people of rising waters.
Crews, with the help of the military, worked all night Sunday to install tiger dams on Highway 1 in the Sumas flats to stop the flow of water.
That stretch between Abbotsford and Chilliwack is closed indefinitely.
Near Sumas Mountain, a mudslide prompted new evacuation orders on Whatcom Road and alerts on Sandringham Drive.
Off the prairie, Clayburn Creek continues to swell from this weekend’s heavy rain.
Residents in Huntingdon Village were also forced out over the weekend.
A wall of sandbags has been built, but hundreds of homes and farms are still exposed.
In total, officials estimate about 1,300 people have been evacuated.
“We're all in this together. We all have different roles to play where there's a bunch of support from our community, we're seeing the different charity organizations coming in play," said Const. Paul Walker, of the Abbotsford Police Department.
"And we'll help people through this process. So my message is hang in there. We're going to get through it."
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Fraser Valley with another atmospheric river expected to bring up to 100 millimetres of rain through Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.