Floodwaters are beginning to recede in parts of Abbotsford, B.C., but officials warn the risk is far from over as more rain is forecast for an already saturated Fraser Valley.
The City of Abbotsford said Saturday that some neighbourhoods are seeing “significant improvement,” even as water continues to flow north from the Nooksack River in Washington state, which first overflowed earlier this week.
Side roads remain flooded and the Trans-Canada Highway is still closed, cutting off the fastest road between Metro Vancouver and the rest of Canada.
“There is currently no way through Abbotsford and Chilliwack to get to the eastern reaches of B.C.,” the city said in a statement, adding that online maps are showing inaccurate information about road closures.
EmergencyInfoBC reiterated Saturday afternoon that Highway 1 remains closed and warned drivers not to attempt to bypass barricades using side roads, many of which are also underwater.
“Driving through flooded areas is a risk to life safety,” the agency said.
Earlier this week, other main highways were also closed due to the extreme flooding and some have since reopened.
Residents are being urged to remain cautious amid fatal collisions, crashes and accidents that have occurred during this atmospheric river flood.
Abbotsford police said a person died when their vehicle rolled over into a water-filled ditch along Huntingdon Road late Saturday morning.
The lone occupant was extricated by Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service but died at the scene.
Huntingdon Road remained closed between Lefeuvre and Bradner roads as investigators worked to determine the cause.
So far, the flooding has forced mass evacuations across the region.
B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Green said about 450 properties have been evacuated province-wide, the majority in Abbotsford, with roughly 1,700 more under evacuation alert.
For longtime residents, the scenes have stirred painful memories of the catastrophic floods of 2021.
Cindy Braun, who lives in the Delair Park area of Abbotsford, said she was shocked to see floodwaters covering Highway 1 when she returned home Thursday night.
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“We said, ‘Oh brother, not again,’” Braun said in an interview. “Cars were still getting through, and we watched until it got that they couldn’t get through … and it still rose overnight. I don’t know how long it will take to recede.”
Braun, a lifelong resident of the Fraser Valley city, said the 2021 flooding was the worst she had ever seen, though she noted this week’s event hasn’t been as severe.
Environment and Climate Change Canada forecast more rain Sunday, with a “potentially significant push of moisture” for Monday and into early next week.
The agency is also warning of an increased risk of landslides as rainfall destabilizes slopes.
In Chilliwack, Mayor Ken Popove said crews are monitoring vulnerable areas closely, particularly with memories of past landslides still fresh.
“Our land is so saturated right now, and back four years ago we had a lot of landslides,” Popove said.
“Our crews are out checking the areas where that could possibly happen and the stability of the land.”
Popove said evacuation notices were issued for Marble Hill due to debris-flow risks, along with evacuation alerts for a small area near Patterson Road.
“That’s just an alert there because they have a creek that runs near them and just to be prepared to pack a bag and get outta Dodge,” he said. “But other than that, we’re OK here.”
Experts say the flooding is part of a broader pattern driven by climate change.
“All research suggests that flooding is going to get more frequent in this region,” said Tara Martin, a professor of conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia.
“The reason the flooding is going to get worse and more frequent is due to climate change.”
Martin said the Sumas Prairie is particularly vulnerable because increased rainfall and more frequent atmospheric rivers are pushing water into rivers faster than when precipitation fell as snow.
“It’s a really challenging issue,” she said. “The water needs somewhere to go.”
“And with climate change, the water has nowhere else to go but to come back into that lake bed,” she added.
Martin said governments must begin considering planned relocation of people out of high-risk flood zones, noting that buying out vulnerable properties could cost just under $1 billion, compared with more than $2 billion for new dikes and pumping infrastructure that still may not work.
The floods haven’t just impacted residents, but business owners across the province.
Casey Proom, chair of the B.C. Dairy Board, said water levels on affected farms have stabilized, but cleanup will take time.
“There’s obviously a lot of water still on property and lots of work to do cleaning up after the water recedes,” Proom said.
He said producers are frustrated that little has changed since 2021.
“It’s difficult for them to move on when they’ve seen no improvements on the physical infrastructure to support them or to protect from another situation like this happening,” Proom said.
Despite the flooding, Proom said most animals have been kept safe and milk pickups have continued, thanks to coordination with local governments and emergency officials.
B.C.’s River Forecast Centre issued high streamflow advisories for all of the province’s coastal areas, prompting officials to urge residents to stay clear of fast-flowing rivers, unstable banks and flooded roads.
The public is also asked to stay informed on the latest updates before traveling, as conditions can change fast.
–with files from The Canadian Press