'This is the new normal for us right now': Abbotsford residents prepare for more flooding Sunday
They’ve barely had time to catch their breath since flooding devastated Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie. Now, they’re bracing for the potential of more floodwaters.
“Disaster zone. This is the new normal for us right now,” said dairy farmer Karl Meier.
Meier was one of the farmers picking up sandbags Saturday in the hopes of better protecting his property and animals.
He’s also been lining up transportation so that he can evacuate his livestock if he needs to.
Abbotsford’s Darien Paul says residents are now “back in protection mode, where they’re going to protect their homes.”
He’s been organizing volunteers to fill sandbags since flooding began.
“We’ve reached over 200,000 bags,” he said, adding they expected to fill tens of thousands more Saturday.
Some of those sandbags went to the Huntingdon area, which borders Sumas Prairie.
Officials fear this area could see flooding Sunday if the Nooksack River in Washington State again spills its banks. Residents are on evacuation alert, but Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun has warned them to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
“Residents still need to be prepared to leave immediately as we may only receive limited notice due to changing conditions,” he said.
Trying to protect Huntingdon Village are about 180 soldiers, who spent the day building a sandbag wall next to a railway track.
“What we’re doing today is creating a 500-metre-long sandbag wall, roughly one metre high,” said Maj. Varun Vahal, the officer commanding Vanguard Company soldiers.
“There’s a potential water might go a foot above this rail line that I’m standing on right now, which would then go into this community,” he explained. “The idea is to divert this water away from the village.”
He expected they would need about 35,000 sandbags to complete the task.
Volunteers have been working alongside farmers since the flooding began. On Saturday, members of Abbotsford’s rugby club were cleaning out barns and debris from properties.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.