Millions in damage and losses, years to recover: A B.C. family's flood story
The Sumas Prairie area of Abbotsford experienced the most severe and prolonged impact of devastating flooding following last month’s atmospheric river, and now that evacuation orders in the area are being lifted in phases, property owners are getting a look at the full extent of the damage.
The Mostertman family’s basement is still full of water, but the knee-high level in the main floor of their home has receded to reveal considerable damage to virtually eveyrthing, including precious mementos, and neck-deep floodwaters that inundated their family business have left utter devastation.
“It almost looks like something from a war zone,” said Caroline Mostertman, as she took CTV News on a tour of the muddy property that once housed a rustic chic tasting room for the Ripples Estate Winery, an idyllic antique barn-themed wedding venue, a plant nursery and a distillery.
The shattered Christmas decorations, filthy stemware, waterlogged antiques and mouldering period costumes are just some of the losses. Bottle after bottle of ruined wine and spirits will almost all be destroyed, and the family expects the blueberry bushes and grape vines are also lost.
“It’s not just the physical damage, but the future damage, because we have no immediate inventory (to sell) and with our 20 acres of blueberry fields that’ve been underwater for two weeks, those plants won’t have survived,” said Mosterman. “The grapes and blueberries, we have to replant and it’ll be five years before we get anything out of them.”
The Christmas season, which accounts for a third of their revenue, is a write-off. Dozens of full-time employees have been laid off, and the family is now relying on a handful of remaining staff, friends and volunteers to help them clean up.
ENTIRE FAMILY IMPACTED BY FLOODING AND SLIDES
Caroline and Paul co-own the winery and venue, but their daughter’s distillery – New Wave Distilling – is also on the property, and her equipment was badly damaged.
“Being a modernized still, everything was electronic, but our entire control panel got sunk underwater and there’s still water (from the flood) in the still,” said Kelsey Mostertman. “All the tanks that’d been filled with alcohol lifted up and the nozzles broke and any alcohol we had in here as lost … Due to pandemic supply issues, we had to give up most of our glass bottle tops and switch to cork and all those bottles are spoiled.”
Kelsey’s brother was caught up in a slide that pushed his car into a river, while Paul and one of the family’s longtime staffers were trapped by the landslide near Hope. Caroline was by herself when the waters started rising over the property they’ve owned and farmed for 40 years.
In a desperate move, she threw a wire mesh over Paul’s prized koi fish – some of which were 20 years old and two feet long – but they swam away in the metres-deep floodwaters. Hard-earned equipment and products became debris and detritus still strewn around acreages and the sides of the roads, where many of the ditches remain full of water.
A LONG RECOVERY AHEAD
The winery, like many of the farms and small businesses on the Sumas Prarie, is ineligible for the current flood relief programs offered by the provincial government and was uninsured. Caroline Mostertman is optimistic there will be help coming in some form, but in the meantime, the family is working round-the-clock to do what they can to pull themselves back up.
“Crying doesn’t help,” said Mostertman. “We’ll be back next summer. I have a deadline because May is my first wedding. I will have this ready by then.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed Thursday in Nepean dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.