‘Not out of this by a long shot’: Abbotsford flooding situation remains critical

People in Abbotsford continue to hope for the best but they’re also preparing for the worst as the Sumas Prairie remains devastated by flooding.

Mayor Henry Braun admits the situation remains critical, and notes it’s likely things could get more complicated around the area.

“We are not out of this by a long shot yet,” he said Thursday, noting water levels need to drop further for evacuation orders to be rescinded in Sumas Prairie.

While water levels on the Fraser River dropped Wednesday, Braun says they remained level overnight. The city has still been unable to open its flood gates. Until that can happen, Abbotsford won’t get all the relief it needs.

“The Barrowtown Pump Station is operating at full capacity and, as I mentioned last night, approximately 500,000 gallons per minute go through that pump station,” the mayor said.

Just two days ago, the city was worried the pump station was going to fail. That hasn’t happened, thanks in part to a massive volunteer effort that saw people fill and stack sandbags at the facility, creating a dam and keeping water out.

Dozens of people showed up at the Barrowtown Pump Station in Abbotsford on Nov. 16 to help fill sandbags amid record flooding. (Courtesy Twitter/Erikdv)

As flood waters work their way towards the pump station and eventually back into the Fraser River, there are still concerns about the safety of people who remain in evacuation areas.

“There are still over 40 people in our evacuation order area in the Sumas Prairie, we need those people to please get out of that area,” said Abbotsford Police Chief Mike Serr Thursday.

“You are putting our first responders our rescue services at risk by staying there should we have to go in there when this gets much more complicated,” he continued. 

Nearly a dozen rescues were done overnight as a result of the flood risk to human lives.

“The water levels there continue to fluctuate, we continue to monitor it moment by moment, but you are putting our first responders at risk by staying there,” Serr added.

Despite the situation remaining critical, there is cause for some optimism.

“Our crews did locate the water main break last night along with some additional breaks,” Mayor Braun explained.

“Our crews remain focused on repairing this so we can get that critical infrastructure back online,” he added about turning on city water services in the Sumas Prairie area again soon.

A boil water notice has already been issued. Only boiled or bottled water should be used for:

• Drinking
• Cooking
• Making Ice
• Brushing teeth
• Washing ready-to-eat foods
• Washing dishes
• Making infant formula

Water must be boiled for at least one minute and allowed to cool before using.

Other methods to treat water:

• CHLORINE: Household bleach (5%): Add 2 drops per liter & let stand for 30 minutes* If water is cloudy add 4 drops per liter.
• IOD INE/CHLORINE TABLETS: see manufacturers’ directions.

People also need to avoid bathing young children in a bathtub and instead use a handheld shower.

The city was able to rescind its evacuation order for Huntington Village and the area west of Sumas Way between the U.S. border and north of Highway 1 on Wednesday.

BREAKING NEWS – Evacuation Order Rescinded for: 1) Huntingdon Village 2) Area West of Sumas Way between the USA Border to Lonzo Road. Area is now under an evacuation ALERT. See attached maps pic.twitter.com/cEkssp5f6d

— Abbotsford Police Department (@AbbyPoliceDept) November 17, 2021

“We know this is a significant commercial area and we are pleased for the businesses located along that corridor that will be able to begin the process of resuming their operations over the coming days,” Braun said at an earlier news conference. “The Huntington U.S. border crossing does remain closed at this time.”

It’s been a precarious situation in the city, which, along with neighbouring Chilliwack, has already seen hundreds of people displaced and thousands of farm animals die.

Related articles: 

• B.C. declares state of emergency due to floods

• Cows swim to safety in Abbotsford floodwaters as farmers urged to leave livestock behind

• Shoppers empty shelves in Fraser Valley grocery stores

• Flood-affected Abbotsford not in the clear but mayor optimistic as Fraser River levels drop

“It’s definitely been a rollercoaster up and down because a lot of people have left,” one woman who stayed behind to keep an eye on her property told CityNews. “I have had lots of offers from family and friends.”

More rain on the way

The Lower Mainland has gotten a much-needed break from the rain over the last few days, but a new weather system is expected to bring more precipitation to the region.

“I’m tracking a low-pressure system that’s going to shoot into Washington and Oregon, but we will see some rain from that weather maker, close enough to bring about three to five millimetres, it looks like, through the Lower Mainland. Today, across Washington state, we could be in that 10 to 15 millimetre window,” CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss said Thursday.

Though we are not expecting anything near what we saw with the major storm that swept over the area just days ago, any amount of rain at this moment is not welcome news for many.

“We’ve had two totally dry days across southern B.C. and that’s brought down the river levels, but they still need to come down more. Even with that little bit of rain coming today, it doesn’t help,” Kuss added. “But the majority of that precipitation is across the south as opposed to up higher into the watershed and up through the mountains. Just really grazing southern B.C.”

We are expecting a couple of dry days after this light rain passes, but we’re not in the clear yet. Kuss says the next “more substantial weathermaker” he’s keeping an eye on comes through on Monday.

Braun says he’s not concerned about Thursday’s rain.

“What I’m concerned about is next week and what’s coming. There’s predicted 80 to 100 millimetres of rain coming next week,” he said frankly.  “That’s what I’m concerned about, if we don’t fix those breaches. Because the Nooksack could go back up again … We are still not pumping anywhere near the amount of water out of the system than is coming into the prairie from across the border.”

The Abbotsford mayor says Washington Governor Jay Inslee has reached out, and a conversation is planned.