Abbotsford lifts evacuation order for part of Sumas Prairie as floodwaters recede
The City of Abbotsford is lifting an evacuation order for some residents of the Sumas Prairie that was ravaged by floodwaters after a record rainfall event last month.
In an update on the city's "return home plan" Monday, Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said an evacuation order for the prairie's Central region is being lifted, effective immediately.
The City of Abbotsford says the Central area has just over 200 properties.
"For the Central area, we've completed all rapid damage assessments of structures, including houses, barns, garages and even gazebos," Braun said.
He adds that to ensure the safety of the public and first responders, those travelling in and out of the Central section must access the area by Cole Road.
The Sumas Prairie is divided into four regions: Central, South, Lake Bottom and North.
The evacuation order for the North section was rescinded on Friday. Evacuation orders for both the South and Lake Bottom areas remain in effect.
The City of Abbotsford also announced it is extending its local state of emergency for another week.
But Braun remains optimistic after seeing floodwaters recede in some areas.
"Over the weekend we saw a 70 inch drop in the water level in the Sumas Prairie's Lake Bottom, which is nearly six feet or 1.85 metres, including 20 inches in just the last 24 hours," said Braun. "Despite this progress, it will still be some time before that area becomes accessible again."
Braun said many fields in the Sumas Prairie are still under about four to five feet of water. He urges everyone to follow evacuation orders and stay out of areas that are not open yet.
"No one knows what may be just underneath the floodwaters. Even once we are able to clear the water from this area, there will be lots of work that needs to be done before we can begin to rebuild."
Braun said full recovery is still a while away and the city is nowhere near being ready for another major storm.
"The flooding event of three weeks ago was a perfect storm with multiple conditions coming together to create the one in 100 year event that consumed the Sumas Prairie. I'm not sure that we will have another 100 years before we face a weather event that is similar or worse. And we are not prepared for that today."
Braun said more work will need to be done to ensure the devastating weather event isn't repeated.
"This work requires the support of the federal and provincial governments to ensure we can upgrade our dikes to current standards in order to protect our community and the economic viability of our region."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
1 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
8 dead, at least 40 injured as farmworkers' bus overturns in central Florida
A bus carrying farmworkers in central Florida overturned on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.