Montreal Gazette ePaper

Could be weeks before floodwaters recede on B.C.'S Sumas Prairie

Flood warnings issued for several rivers

VANCOUVER • Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said it could be three weeks before the three-kilometre square section that marks the lowest point of the Sumas Prairie will be clear of water. And only then can the true extent of damage to soil in the prairie be assessed.

Braun said he hoped to lift some evacuation orders over the next few days, with no rain in the forecast.

Floodwaters were expected to subside, the mayor said, noting the Sumas Prairie water level actually fell an inch on Tuesday despite a record rainfall of two feet over the past few weeks.

The Barrowtown Pump Station floodgates was expected to be able to reopen Wednesday night. This is crucial to allowing water from the Sumas Prairie to drain.

Braun said the Nooksack River in Washington — which flows north when it floods — had crested and was stable.

However, flood warnings were issued for the Chilliwack River, the Lower Fraser tributaries and the Tulameen, Similkameen, Coldwater and Lower Nicola rivers, as well as Spius Creek.

Rivers were expected to rise throughout Wednesday and conditions were changing rapidly.

Temperature records were also broken Wednesday, which is particularly problematic because the snowpack is thin, which means it melts more easily, adding to runoff.

Anticipated snowmelt was one of the reasons the District of Hope placed

114 properties along the Coquihalla River on evacuation alert Tuesday.

The flood warnings come as southern and coastal British Columbia entered the tail end of severe weather that meteorologists have described as a “parade” of storms with dozens of weather warnings in place across the region.

There were four dozen evacuation orders in communities in southern B.C. due to floods and another 11 orders because of landslides.

A debris slide temporarily closed traffic on Highway 7 near Agassiz on Wednesday, while the Squamish-lillooet Regional District issued an evacuation order for properties near the community of Birken due to a landslide hazard. Highway 7 is the same artery where motorists were trapped between two mudslides last month.

Canadian National Railway said on Wednesday that it was aiming to reopen its track in the crucial Kamloops-to-vancouver corridor this weekend.

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, the other main rail line operator, was able to resume operations last week.

Trans Mountain Corp. said its pipeline is “only a few days away” from restarting following a precautionary shutdown on Nov. 14.

The company said in an update that the latest round of rain and snowfall has not caused any new concerns for the integrity of the 1,150-kilometre pipeline, which carries 300,000 barrels of petroleum products a day from Alberta to B.C.

B.C. has imposed gas rationing because of the pipeline closure. Many residents in southern parts of the province have been told to limit each fuel purchase to 30 litres.

More than two dozen weather warnings remained in effect across southern and coastal British Columbia, complicating cleanup efforts from previous flooding and mudslides.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the province is doing everything it can to make sure people and communities have the resources and support they need.

He said uncertainty and anxiety are common during such an extremely challenging time and he urged anyone who is struggling to use publicly available mental health supports.

“Please know, you're not alone,” Farnworth said.

While there was a lull in the weather Wednesday, Farnworth encouraged residents of southwestern B.C. to prepare for more rain before an expected reprieve Thursday.

Environment Canada says the rain should ease on Thursday and Friday, but a smaller storm system is expected to affect the south coast late on Friday.

`PLEASE KNOW, YOU'RE NOT ALONE'

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2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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