Abbotsford flood-ravaged and staring at the Nooksack River from the US ‘like a hawk’ as heavy rains approach

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The mayor of Abbotsford, B.C., says he’s convinced the city’s rebuilt levees and sandbag pumping station can handle a dam of heavy rain in the forecast until Sunday afternoon – but not if Washington State’s Nooksack River is overflowing.

Abbotsford has issued an evacuation alert for the village of Huntingdon, urging residents to prepare essential items in case they are ordered to leave on short notice this weekend.

Mayor Henry Braun told reporters on Saturday afternoon that the flood-ravaged city is watching the US-Canadian waterway “like a hawk” because it is a wild card that is difficult to predict without knowing how surrounding soil is saturated.

He spoke on Saturday morning with officials in Whatcom County, Wash., Which saw the US National Guard deployed over the weekend.

“The rain, we can handle… We can’t handle if the Nooksack is overflowing”

Should the river cross its banks, Braun said the Fraser Valley’s already saturated farmland could potentially experience worsening flooding.

“We did everything we could in a very short period of time,” he said on Saturday. “Now the unknown factor is how much water will arrive [from] south of the border. “

“The rain we can handle – I’m pretty confident – but we can’t handle if the Nooksack overflows and starts draining into Sumas Prairie again.”

The waters are expected to enter the west side of Sumas Prairie near the village of Huntingdon on Sunday, the city said.

Braun warned that it was unrealistic to stop the flow of the Nooksack River, as it would require an “18-foot-high dike” at the border. Instead, he said, the priority is to put sandbags to protect the buildings.

“Frankly, we don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “But we’re going to look at this Nooksack like a hawk.”

Whatcom County predicts the Nooksack River will reach a moderate flood level on Sunday and damage to levee systems from previous storms could have greater impacts on floodplain areas than would typically be felt at these levels. of river.
: @Whatcomctygov pic.twitter.com/jhUA4pK60V

– @ City_Abbotsford “Nooksack River will come with less resistance”, fears the American mayor

South of the Canada-US border, Whatcom County predicts the Nooksack River will reach “moderate flood level” on Sunday.

Sumas, Wash., Washington Mayor Kyle Christensen told CBC News that flooding his town suffered two weeks ago as a result of the river’s atmospheric event shattered three dikes, and one of between them was “still not repaired” despite the constant work of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

“With all this water – and it’s accumulating – once the Nooksack River is crossed tomorrow, which we predict, we’ll have a lot more water to deal with,” Christensen said in an interview.

“The concern is that the Nooksack River will come with less resistance due to flood damage last week.”

Whatcom County, which includes Sumas, issued a statement on Saturday warning residents of the risks posed by the coming rains.

“Damage to levee systems from previous storms may have greater impacts on flood-prone areas than usual at these river levels,” the county said in a statement. “There is a lot of uncertainty due to the flooding last week. “

As a precautionary measure, the county added, US National Guard troops are being deployed “to assist local agencies” by putting in sandbags, delivering supplies and supporting the communities of Sumas, Everson and Nooksack.

“People are tired,” Mayor Christensen told CBC News. “You know, it’s been going on for a long time and here we’re going to be hit by a second wave.”

“Heavy showers can cause flash floods”

According to CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe, current forecast models show a lot of uncertainty, but suggest increasing potential for flooding by Tuesday.

“Total precipitation, unfortunately, will be extreme,” Wagstaffe said. “It certainly has the potential to impact both with additional surface flooding and new landslides.”

Federal meteorologists on Saturday issued a rain warning for the Fraser Valley and the south coast, with Environment and Climate Change Canada noting that “heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water accumulation on roads.”

Until Sunday afternoon, the weather forecast calls for 70 millimeters of rain over southern sections of the Fraser Valley on Saturday, but up to 120 millimeters closer to the mountains.

The rains are expected to ease on Sunday, but effects on river levels could be seen several days later.

IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR HUNTINGDON RESIDENTS:
The Huntingdon area remains on evacuation alert and residents should be ready to leave at all times. pic.twitter.com/xN08b8PrIL

– @ Ville_Abbotsford

The City of Abbotsford posts its most recent information on floods, evacuations and other emergencies on its website.

Provincial flood warnings and advisories are available from the BC River Forecast Center.

For more information on evacuation alerts and orders issued by various authorities across the province, visit the Emergency Management BC Twitter feed or website, which also has updates and support available for emergency workers. evacuated.

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