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b.c. flood live: abbotsford lifts evacuation alerts, downgrades some orders | highway 1 westbound reopens in abbotsford | one dead after car rolls into flooded ditch

an atmospheric river swept across southern b.c. on wednesday, leading abbotsford to declare a state of local emergency as hundreds of properties were put on evacuation order. the b.c. government also closed major highways between the lower mainland and the interior because of flooding, falling rock and debris, and high avalanche hazards.
here is the latest news, check back often for updates:

saturday, dec. 13, 2025

abbotsford lifts evacuation alerts, downgrades some evacuation orders

the city of abbotsford ended evacuation alerts for more than 1,000 properties in the western and eastern sections of sumas prairie on saturday night. it has also downgraded an evacuation order to an alert for 160 other properties. an evacuation order remains in place for 325 properties.
click here to see an interactive map of the updated alerts and orders.
the city said damage assessments were done to homes in the areas where the evacuation orders have been lifted. homes have been given one of three damage levels: green (re-entry permitted); yellow (access is restricted to certain conditions); and red (do not enter unless authorized.) no homes so far have been given red assessments, and just one has received a yellow.
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the city has launched a web page with information and tips for those returning home. go to abbotsford.ca/returnhome.

highway 1 westbound reopens in abbotsford

the westbound lanes on highway 1 between no. 3 road and sumas way reopened saturday night. drive b.c. said crews spent the afternoon preparing the lanes for reopening after waters receded.
the eastbound lanes remain closed due to water, though drive b.c. says the situation will be reassessed in the morning. drivers are being asked to detour via highway 7 and to only travel in the area if necessary.

one person dead after rolling into flooded ditch in abbotsford

abbotsford police say one person is dead after a vehicle rolled off the roadway into a water-filled ditch saturday.
officers were called out to the 28000-block of huntingdon road shortly before 11:30 a.m.
the lone occupant was extricated from the vehicle by abbotsford fire rescue service. emergency crews performed cpr but the person died. police have not released any details about the victim.
huntingdon road remains closed in both directions between lefeuvre road and bradner road and is expected to stay closed for several hours.
investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the collision, observed the vehicle in the ditch, or has dashcam footage of the incident to contact abbotsford police at 604-859-5225.
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floodwaters continue to recede in abbotsford

floodwaters in abbotsford continued to gradually recede with some areas seeing significant improvement, the city said in an update at 10 a.m. saturday.
city staff say overflow water continues to cross the border from the nooksack river but the amount of water is slowly decreasing.
highway 1 remains closed and drivers are asked not to attempt to bypass flooded areas using side roads.
“those are also flooded and you will get stuck trying to back out. there is currently no way through abbotsford to chilliwack or eastern parts of the province,” the update said.
evacuation orders remain in place for 460 properties while evacuation alerts remain in place for 1,069 properties in sumas prairie.
city officials say they are working to support residents and help them return home as quickly as possible.
the emergency centre remains active and staff say they will monitor river levels, dikes, and roads, especially in the days ahead with more rain in the forecast.

some highways still closed, more rain on the way

it will be a tense weekend for b.c. residents affected by flooding from wednesday’s atmospheric river. although there’s a break in the weather saturday morning, more rain is expected, with heavy rain expected sunday and monday.
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environment and climate change canada has issued a special weather statement for the saturated fraser valley, saying another wet weather system will move into the area saturday night and continue sunday, followed by a potentially significant amount of rain on monday and into early next week.
the federal weather agency says rainfall amounts are uncertain but warnings will be issued as necessary in the upcoming days.
despite saturday’s drier weather, several highways remain closed because of landslide risk and flooding cleanup.
here’s the latest on what’s closed and what has reopened from drive b.c.:
• highway 3 — closed from hope to east gate (manning park.) the government says there are 23 sights of serious damage, including landslides, culvert bow outs, and road washouts. the highway remains closed until it is safe to restore traffic, and the necessary repairs are completed. no estimated reopening time yet.
 photo shows damage done to highway 3 west of cedar creek after atmospheric river wednesday.
photo shows damage done to highway 3 west of cedar creek after atmospheric river wednesday. bc government/drive bc
note that princeton to manning park has reopened but traffic control is in place.
• highway 1 — from highway 11 to no. 3 road is closed eastbound. the westbound lanes reopened saturday evening.
• sumas border closed to commercial traffic, local traffic only. border services requests non-local traffic avoid highway 11 / sumas due to flooding and potential evacuation operations in washington state.
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• highway 1 — from highway 9 to hope is open to two-way traffic. eastbound traffic should expect to cross over to the westbound lanes. expect speed reductions.
• highway 7 — reopened
• highway 1 at canyon — from yale to lytton — reopened
• highway 5 (coquihalla) — from hope to merritt — reopened
• highway 99 from mount currie to lilooett — reopened
• highway 8 — reopened

a wetter-than-normal december for the fraser valley

while saturday’s partly sunny skies are a welcome break from the downpour, meteorologists are forecasting rain until at least next friday for the flood-ravaged fraser valley.
louis kohanyi, a meteorologist with environment and climate change canada, said while the amount of rain coming is still uncertain, the forecast for abbotsford suggests up to 10 millimetres of rain saturday night, another five to 10 mm on sunday and then up to 20 mm on sunday night. residents can expect another 10 mm to 20 mm of rain on monday.
he said it’s possible the current special weather statement in effect for abbotsford could be upgraded to a rainfall warning sometime next week.
the agency is also warning that there is an increased risk of landslide activity with the additional precipitation causing further slope destabilization.
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“we are also expecting some very gusty winds,” said kohanyi.
the rain should ease to showers on tuesday but then there’s another system moving in and heavy rain is expected again wednesday through friday.
it’s too soon to say whether any records will be broken for december but so far 166.9 millimetres of rain has fallen on abbotsford, which is nearly the normal amount (179.8 mm) for the entire month, said kohanyi.

friday, dec. 12, 2025

abbotsford officials warn drivers not to rely on gps

city officials are warning drivers not to rely on apple maps or attempt to use side roads to circumvent the highway 1 closure due to flooding.
in a facebook post, abbotsford city officials are warning drivers that “there is currently no way through abbotsford to chilliwack or eastern parts of the province.”
“note: apple maps is showing some side roads are open, but that information is inaccurate, as all side roads are closed,” read the notice shared to social media. “please avoid attempting to travel through abbotsford until the main roads are reopened.”
another warning posted to drive bc notes that drivers should “not attempt to bypass flooded areas using side roads.”
“those are also flooded and you will get stuck trying to back out,” the warning reads.
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highway 1 remains closed overnight as water begins to disperse

police are reminding drivers to avoid highway 1 through abbotsford on friday, as crews respond to the flooding.
“over the last several hours, a significant amount of the water that was here has dissipated and is being pushed out toward the fraser river,” said abbotsford police sgt. paul walker in an updated shared at 5 p.m. friday.
“there are so many phenomenal things happening right now, with a lot of great organizations collaborating, local farmers, volunteers and all the first responder agencies that are here.
“we’re all working together to get this area reopened as quickly and as safely as we can.”
in the video update shared to x, walker pointed out the water that covered several lanes of highway 1 near whatcom road, and thanked those who had expressed their appreciation for police and crews working in the area.
“we’re truly grateful for that. as a community of abbotsford, as all of us together, when we have these situations, we get through it,” he said.

here’s the latest update on highway closures

many roads have reopened but several major highways remain closed friday evening, including highway 1 between whatcom road and sumas way in abbotsford, because of flooding and landslide risk.
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here’s the latest (5:15 p.m.) from drive b.c.:
• highway 3 hope to east gate (manning park) — closed due to serious damage including landslide, culvert blowouts, and road washouts note: princeton to east gate (manning park) is now open though traffic control remains in place leaving princeton.
• highway 1 highway 11 to no. 3 road — closed both directions
• highway 1 highway 9 to hope — open to two way traffic. eastbound traffic should expect to cross over to the westbound lanes. expect speed reductions.
• highway 7 — reopened
• highway 1 canyon, from yale to lytton — reopened
• highway 5 (coquihalla) hope to merritt — reopened following flooding at sowaqua.
• highway 99 mount currie to lilooett — reopened
• highway 8 — reopened
the sumas border remains closed to commercial traffic, with local traffic only allowed while u.s. border services is asking drivers to avoid highway 11/sumas because of evacuations and flooding in washington state.

highway 7 faces heavy congestion due to road closures and detoured traffic

highway 7 is facing significant congestion on friday evening, as drivers detour away from highway 1 where flooding continues to threaten property and roadways.
highway 1 has been closed from highway 11 to no. 3 road in abbotsford, forcing drivers over to highway 7 to travel between the lower mainland and the eastern reaches of the fraser valley.
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as of 4:45 p.m., google’s live traffic update shows heavy congestion on highway 7, from mission all the way to agassiz and bridal falls.
in a news release issued just after 4 p.m. friday, the province urged drivers to “delay or avoid travel in this corridor whenever possible to support local residents in accessing their homes.”
those who insist on travelling should plan ahead, use caution, allow for additional travel time and be prepared for delays.
“the ministry’s electrical contractor is assessing signals and will increase timings as needed to support congestion without affecting downstream communities,” read the transportation ministry update.
“increased traffic control will be stationed at key locations to support improved efficiency through the network where there is capacity.”

a tough night for farmers in abbotsford, say b.c. officials

it was a sleepless night for many residents, search and rescue, and first responders in abbotsford as they worked to protect people, animals and infrastructure from the flooding, b.c. officials said friday morning.
there are 450 properties on evacuation order and about 1,700 on evacuation alert, said kelly greene, minister of emergency management and climate readiness, at a news conference in abbotsford friday morning.
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“it’s been 72 hours of tireless work to keep people safe,” said greene. “i want to reassure everyone that the province, local governments and emergency teams are working with urgency and doing everything in their power to keep homes, farms and businesses safe.”
she said it will be a challenging weekend ahead with more rain in the forecast.
lana popham, minister of agriculture and food, said the water levels came up on farms thursday night and flooded several barns.
 flooding is pictured on a farm property near the trans-canada highway and whatcom road area in abbotsford, b.c. on friday, dec. 12, 2025.
flooding is pictured on a farm property near the trans-canada highway and whatcom road area in abbotsford, b.c. on friday, dec. 12, 2025. jason payne / png
“farmers were watching very closely around midnight, and there had been elevated water levels that have made it into barns. and so today is the day of assessing and unfortunately finding some difficult issues,” she said.
“the rising waters have not been good news for some of our committed farmers.”
popham said there are 68 farms on evacuation order and 98 under evacuation alert. dairy cows and hogs have been relocated but some poultry farms were lost. she said numbers on how many barns and birds were lost will be released at a later time because farmers are dealing with a lot of trauma.
“any time a farmer loses livestock, it’s heartbreaking,” said popham. “the emotional toll is really tough on our farmers.”
greene said the province will make disaster financial assistance available for residents. she added that since 2021, they have made changes so that the eligibility is broader and the maximum amount raised.
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officials said they were not aware of any reports of human injuries and there have been several successful rescues, including one on the chilliwack river, where five people and four dogs had to be lifted out by helicopter.
 a woman and two kids take in the view of floodwaters near the trans-canada highway and whatcom road area in abbotsford, b.c. on friday, dec. 12, 2025. more rain is expected through the weekend and early into next week, as the floodwaters continue to drain.
a woman and two kids take in the view of floodwaters near the trans-canada highway and whatcom road area in abbotsford, b.c. on friday, dec. 12, 2025. more rain is expected through the weekend and early into next week, as the floodwaters continue to drain. jason payne / png

‘profoundly disappointed:’ abbotsford mayor says feds failing to protect fraser valley

abbotsford mayor ross siemens expressed “profound disappointment” in how the federal government has failed to protect abbotsford from cross-border flooding.
“once again, the safety and the well-being of our residents, our farms, our livestock, provincial food security, provincial economy, and even our national economy remain unprotected and at risk,” said siemens at the news conference.
“to say that we are disappointed and frustrated is an understatement.”
 farmland and properties in the sumas prairie, near the trans-canada highway and whatcom road, can be seen surrounded by floodwaters in abbotsford, b.c. on friday, dec. 12, 2025.
farmland and properties in the sumas prairie, near the trans-canada highway and whatcom road, can be seen surrounded by floodwaters in abbotsford, b.c. on friday, dec. 12, 2025. jason payne / png
siemens also said that officials in washington state need to work with canada on an international treaty to do more to mitigate flood risk.
he blasted the federal government for not contacting him during this latest crisis.
“we have done everything, including almost standing on our heads, to be noticed and to be heard and again, to be disappointed by our federal government,” he said.
“i need that long-term flood mitigation plan to be adopted sooner, as opposed to later.”
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siemens said six months after the 2021 flood, they realized they needed a pump on sumas prairie to push the water through faster.
“that is the primary issue that we need right now is, is that we need to move that water through quicker, so that has a place to go when we have when we have events like this,” he said.
 a flooded pumpkin field with the sumas dike in the background.
a flooded pumpkin field with the sumas dike in the background. glenda luymes / png

nooksack river hits peak, water receding

dave campbell, the head of b.c.’s river forecast center, said the nooksack river peaked in the afternoon and the water has started to recede but the basin through the sumas still needs to drain.
“it’s a very slow process. so this is something that really is going to take days to happen,” said campbell. “looking ahead into the next phase of things, we are seeing the potential for a stormy week ahead.”
he said the amount of rain on sunday and monday is concerning and there is some uncertainty how that rain will impact floods.
“rivers themselves are more vulnerable as we come into this period because of what we’ve seen over the last week,” said campbell, adding that the ground is also very saturated, which heightens flood risk.

abbotsford schools closed friday

all schools in the abbotsford and chilliwack school districts are closed to staff and students on friday because of the flooding.
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a notice on the abbotsford school website says the decision was made to ensure the safety of students and staff.
the chilliwack school district said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution given that highway 1 between exit 92 and exit 95 is closed in both directions due to flooding.
“we recognize that many staff and families may be directly affected by road closures, evacuation alerts and orders, and difficult travel conditions. the safety of our students and staff is always our highest priority,” the school district said.
meantime, the university of the fraser valley is open but all exams are postponed until next thursday.
the university cautions that students should only travel to campus if conditions in their area are safe.

castle fun park also closed

a popular family entertainment park in the fraser valley has closed because of flooding.
castle fun park says its parking lot and surrounding roads are flooded, making it unsafe to open.
the park says anyone with a birthday party or event booked in the coming days should check their email for updates.

what’s happening with the weather?

while rain warnings were lifted for the fraser valley and metro vancouver, a new special weather statement is in effect friday morning for the fraser valley, where flooding has reached highway 1.
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environment and climate change canada says more rainfall is in store over the next few days for the already saturated fraser valley.
a relatively weak frontal system is pushing into the lower mainland and will bring light rain today, the alert said.
the agency says the precipitation is expected to intensify friday evening, with up to 20 millimetres of rain expected for the western and central sections of the fraser valley, and up to 40 mm near hope.
then, another wet weather system will move into the area saturday night, according to meteorologists, followed by potentially heavy rain early next week.
the agency says rainfall amounts are uncertain but warnings will be issued as necessary in the upcoming days.

abbotsford police urge residents to stay away from flood zone

floodwater washed over highway 1 in abbotsford thursday night, leading to sudden road closures that saw hundreds of vehicles to divert into the sumas prairie as the water was rising.
at about 9 p.m., roads in the eastern part of the prairie, where 1,800 homes remain on evacuation alert, were suddenly filled with cars and semi trucks that diverted off the highway at the no. 3 road exit to avoid the closure near whatcom road.
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there were line ups of vehicles on country roads as many tried to find a way back to the highway before turning around.
residents speculated that online navigation systems were sending people into the flooded sumas prairie to avoid the highway closure.
on friday, drive bc issued a notice via x that clarified highway 1 is closed from highway 11 to no. 3 road in abbotsford, but open for travel east of no. 3 through chilliwack, “despite what google maps is indicating.”
the water continued to rise in some parts of the prairie overnight, while draining away in others as conditions allowed the sumas prairie flood gates to be opened.
sgt. paul walker, a spokesperson for the abbotsford police, posted an early-morning video to social media friday at whatcom road to ask people to not to travel in the area.
“do not come down whatcom road from the top of the mountain, you are not going to be able to get out to the highway or transit westbound on old yale road,” he said in the video.
walker asked drivers to use mckee road to mcmillan road or take marshall road off whatcom to get into the city westbound.
south parallel road between no. 3 road and sumas way is also closed.
—glenda luymes
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as she put her five-year-old to bed, patti gerbrand got this question: “what if our house floats away while we’re sleeping?”
the abbotsford mother said thursday she was trying to keep calm for her kids while preparing to evacuate to higher ground.
“we’re ready to go, and at one point this afternoon, we’ll leave,” she said, watching as sheets of water slipped down her road and into a nearby field. she was hopeful her house would not flood because it didn’t during catastrophic storms in 2021.
the last flood was on the minds of many in abbotsford, with weariness and anger written on the faces of those who gathered to watch the water as it surged across the border from washington state, where the nooksack river breached its banks wednesday night. the water arrived in abbotsford midday thursday, pressing through huntingdon village before finding lower ground on the edge of sumas prairie, a former lake that was drained to create farmland in the 1920s.
— glenda luymes
 water levels are rising at boundary road and second avenue on the canada-u. s. border at huntingdon on thursday, dec. 11, as water from recent rainfall spills into the sumas prairie. at least one business, enviro corp recycling, was forced to evacuate.
water levels are rising at boundary road and second avenue on the canada-u. s. border at huntingdon on thursday, dec. 11, as water from recent rainfall spills into the sumas prairie. at least one business, enviro corp recycling, was forced to evacuate. jason payne / png
a truck driver trying to haul portable camp shacks out of vancouver found himself stranded for hours in chilliwack on thursday after a mudslide cut off his route along highway 1 — one of several major corridors shut down by the b.c. government as heavy rain from an atmospheric river pummelled the fraser valley.
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jesse haire left vancouver at 3:30 a.m., headed for whitehorse, when he came upon the closure. “i came out of stanley park at 3:30 a.m. and have been sitting up until i turned around at chilliwack to surrey,” he said, estimating the blockage added several extra hours to his trip.
haire’s experience highlighted a chaotic night as flooding, mudslides and washouts caused the closure multiple highways linking the lower mainland and interior, prompting the ministry of transportation to issue an advisory to avoid routes at risk of flooding, debris and high avalanche hazards.
— sarah grochowski

four years after devastating b.c. floods, little has been done to protect homes, businesses, infrastructure

atmospheric rivers are again threatening abbotsford and other southern b.c. communities, yet there has been little progress on reducing flood risks.
following devastating flooding in 2021, the b.c. ndp government released a 10-year flood mitigation plan in the spring of 2024, but it had no price tag, no project priorities, and no timelines.
atmospheric rivers are again threatening abbotsford and other southern b.c. communities, yet there has been little progress on reducing flood risks.
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following devastating flooding in 2021, the b.c. ndp government released a 10-year flood mitigation plan in the spring of 2024, but it had no price tag, no project priorities, and no timelines.
b.c. has a projected deficit this year of $11 billion.
— gordon hoekstra

thursday, dec. 11, 2025

evacuation order issued for some properties north of highway 1

the city of abbotsford issued an evacuation order at 9 p.m. for several properties north of highway 1 due to flooding. this includes the clarion hotel and the ministry of agriculture building on angus campbell road.

highway 1 closed

drivebc is reporting as of 8 p.m. that highway 1 is closed in both directions at whatcom road due to flooding. it is also closed at the intersection of highway 11.
as of 10 p.m. water levels were continuing to rise.
people exiting whatcom road are to proceed northbound on whatcom and those exiting at sumas way are to proceed northbound on highway 11.

highway 5 reopened in both directions

the coquihalla highway (5) has been reopened in both directions between hope and merritt as of 4 p.m.
highway 1 remains closed eastbound between hope and highway 9. a detour is available via highway 7.

‘we are not yet through this emergency,’ says minister, as evacuations expanded

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an evacuation orders has been expanded in abbotsford to 400 properties.
kelly greene, minister of emergency management and climate readiness, said as well 1,800 properties are under evacuation alert.
greene provided the update at a news conference at 11 a.m. on thursday.
“we are not yet through this emergency,” said greene. “we are anticipating continued flow from the nooksack today and rising water levels, and are prepared for difficult days and nights ahead.”
geotechnical experts are on site and emergency staff are available 24/7 to provide any support required, added greene.
“if you’re living in an area that is at risk of flooding, you should have a grab and go bag ready for everyone in your household, including pets,” she said.
there’s 66 farms registered with livestock under evacuation order, and 99 farms with livestock under evacuation alert, according to the agriculture ministry.
minister lana popham said the flooding is affecting a mix of poultry, dairy cows and hogs, adding that at this point the animals are safe. she said she will provide updates as they come in about the farms.
popham said she has spoken to many farmers and they are all nervously watching to see how the next 12 hours plays out.
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“my message to farmers and communities is that you are not alone in this, and we need to look out for one another, and we’ll continue to monitor and support as needed,” said popham.
 a home is surrounded by floodwaters near twin rivers snohomish county park in arlington, wash., thursday, dec. 11, 2025.
a home is surrounded by floodwaters near twin rivers snohomish county park in arlington, wash., thursday, dec. 11, 2025. erika schultz / the seattle times via ap

b.c. river forecast centre continues flood warnings

david campbell, head of the b.c. river forecast centre, said flood warnings are still in place for the fraser valley, on the chilliwack river and for the sumas region.
“we expect that the peak from that will come through fairly shortly as we go through the middle part of today, before we start to see that water start to decline and that water moving through,” said campbell at the 11 a.m. news conference.
“as we go into the next 24 hours or so here, the real focus point is going to be on the sumas region. we’ve seen the nooksack river in the whatcom county in washington has been at flood stage. it breached its banks yesterday afternoon, that has led to spill overflow into the sumas region since yesterday evening.”
campbell said he expects the flooding won’t recede until into friday, adding there’s only a short break in the weather before another system moves through.
“we are looking at a longer phase of potential increased flood hazard through the region, and continuing to monitor that system closely, and we’ll be providing updates as we get a better understanding of how that weekend system will come into place, as well as how much time we have to recover rivers in the next few days here before that system arrives,” he said.
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flood warnings are also now in effect for the similkameen river tributaries, including headwater tributaries at and upstream of princeton and the tulameen river.
 the flooding snoqualmie river has closed ne 124th st., which connects w. snoqualmie valley rd. ne on the redmond side, and sr-203 on the duvall and carnation side, wednesday, dec. 10, 2025, near novelty, wash.
the flooding snoqualmie river has closed ne 124th st., which connects w. snoqualmie valley rd. ne on the redmond side, and sr-203 on the duvall and carnation side, wednesday, dec. 10, 2025, near novelty, wash. ken lambert/ / the seattle times via ap

some highways reopening

janelle staite, minister of transportation and infrastructure, said ministry staff and maintenance crews were on the ground while ministry engineers conducted an aerial assessment by helicopter to evaluate risks and identify corridor impacts.
“while there are road impacts, we are not near the state of infrastructure damage that we experienced during the 2021 event,” she said.
staite said ground patrols of highway 1 through the fraser canyon have confirmed that there was no damage, and the risk of debris coming down from the slope has subsided.
“so we’ve been able to reopen this road fully in both directions,” she said.
geotechnical engineers have provided authorization to begin clearing the rockfall on highway 7, between agassiz and hope, allowing the highway to reopen to single lane, alternating traffic.
highway 1 eastbound in the bridal falls area remains closed as result of a mudslide.
popham said engineers have assessed the site from the air and confirmed that water continues to flow from the mountain due to high streams.
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“we will continue to monitor this area to determine what is safe for crews to begin clearing debris and do necessary repairs,” she said, adding an update is expected later today.

north shore rescue saves five people, four dogs stranded by flooding

shortly after midnight, north shore rescue crews used a helicopter to save a group of people and four dogs trapped on an island in the chilliwack river, with floodwaters rising all around them.
two nsr helicopter rescue technicians responded along with talon helicopters and flew to the chilliwack river valley, according to a social media post thursday from north shore rescue.
over the course of several hours, all people and animals were successfully rescued via hoist in challenging conditions such as wind, tight trees, and rising floodwaters, nsr said.
crews were back in north vancouver just after 5:30 a.m.
nsr said crews have several k9 rescue kits, which include dog harnesses specifically for helicopter rescue.

evacuation orders in abbotsford, alerts in manning park

evacuation orders have been issued for 371 properties in abbotsford, and a state of local emergency issued because of imminent flooding late wednesday night.
just after 11 p.m., the city said that residents of hundreds of properties in the sumas prairie west area must leave immediately due to the risk of flooding.
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the orders were issued by the fraser valley regional district after talks with the province and whatcom county in the u.s., where the nooksack river was reaching flood levels.
floodwater is expected to arrive at the border thursday morning, according to the city.
firefighters and other emergency services went door to door in west sumas prairie in the early morning hours thursday to hand out evacuation orders.
farmers began to look for ways to move livestock.
as the rain stopped, residents continued to watch websites showing the nooksack river in washington state rising through the night. some of that water is expected to reach abbotsford today.
after a sleepless night for many, sumas prairie looked much the same early thursday. before dawn, christmas lights reflected in puddles and cows were being milked. several residents seemed to have parked their vehicles on higher ground. many seemed to be at home despite the evacuation order.
the roads were dry apart from one area on boundary road. a reception centre has been set up at the abbotsford recreation centre. evacuation alerts remain in place for the eastern sumas prairie area.
as of 11:50 p.m., residents on the eastern edge of manning park were still on evacuation alert, according to an update from the regional district of okanagan-similkameen.
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—with files from glenda luymes

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