School closures: Some B.C. districts cancel in-person classes due to latest floods

Vancouver -

With the latest rounds of atmospheric rivers hitting southern B.C., some local school districts decided to cancel class on Monday.

The second in a trio of intense rainfalls subsided in many areas Sunday, however a third storm is forecast to arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday. Officials have warned that it could be the worst one yet.

In a letter to parents Sunday, Fraser-Cascade School District, which covers Hope, Agassiz, Boston Bar and Kent, said schools would be closed Monday "out of an abundance of caution."

This comes after the District of Hope declared a local state of emergency over the latest flooding.

"The severe weather conditions, flooded areas and road closures make travelling for staff and students too difficult to open schools tomorrow," the letter from the school district said.

"With extreme weather conditions, please note that there may be a possibility for further closures this week."

Most schools in flood-stricken Abbotsford have returned to in-person learning, after some cancelled class for several days recently. For the week of Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, the only schools still doing virtual learning are Robert Bateman Secondary and WJ Mouat Secondary.

School buses that have routes through evacuation zones won't be operating, however. Buses on other routes may be significantly delayed.

"The city's (emergency operations centre) team has advised us that the impacts of the flooding in our community continues to be a concern, particularly as we look ahead to the rain forecasted for this week," a notice on the Abbotsford School District's site says.

"We will continue to communicate with you should changes arise in our school operations."

All schools in Mission and Chilliwack, which both had recent closures in recent weeks because of flooding, are open Monday.

With files from The Canadian Press