Floodwaters in the Fraser Valley are expected to recede in the coming days, forecasters said, but uncertainty remains with more rain in the forecast next week.
British Columbia’s Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said in an update Friday morning there were 450 properties under evacuation order and another 1,700 more are under evacuation alert, mostly in the Abbotsford area.
“As difficult as the last few days have been, there is more rain in the forecast,” said Greene.
She urged everyone in flood areas to pack a grab-and-go bag that includes winter clothing and any needed medications.
Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said water levels rose overnight at many farms in the Fraser Valley.
“Today is a day of assessing and unfortunately finding some difficult situations that farmers are facing,” she said.
Popham said some poultry barns were flooded, and the remaining birds are being relocated. She declined to provide numbers on how many animals were lost, saying it could be distressing for farmers to hear while they are still actively dealing with the emergency.
David Campbell, head of the River Forecast Centre said Washington State’s Nooksack River peaked Thursday afternoon, spilling more water into the Fraser Valley region.
He said more storms are expected in the coming week, particularly on Sunday and Monday, and flood risk will stay high over the period.
Some major routes between the Interior and the lower Mainland remained closed Friday morning due to flooding, debris and avalanche risk. DriveBC warns other provincial roadways could be closed with little or no notice.
Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens slammed the federal response to emergency preparation, particularly following the devastating floods that hit B.C. in November 2021. He said no one from Ottawa had yet reached out to him during this event.
“To put my city residents at risk once again needlessly because of inaction is frustrating,” said Siemens.
He called on the federal government to work with the province and city on a long-term flood mitigation plan, noting Ottawa rejected funding a plan the city developed in the aftermath of the 2021 floods.
He said it’s important that Canada work also with officials in Washington state on flood prevention efforts for the region.
Ian Paton, Delta South MLA and Opposition Critic for Agriculture, said the province’s 10-year flood mitigation action plan, introduced in 2024 lacked a clear budget, priorities and timelines.
“Our agricultural communities in the Sumas Prairie face potential devastation with insufficient resources for vital flood defences,” stated Paton in a statement. “Local farmers should not have to shoulder these burdens alone.”
Paton said the City of Delta alone needs an estimated $3 billion for flood protection upgrades.
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