A car drives through a flooded road in Yarrow, B.C., on Wednesday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)The LatestA flood warning is in effect today for B.C.’s Sumas and Chilliwack rivers, as well as the Lower Fraser and Skagit basins in the province’s southwest.The B.C.’s River Forecast Centre says there’s potential for spillover from Washington state’s Nooksack River.That overflow is not expected to be as high as it was during extensive flooding in November 2021, but officials are not ruling out the possibility.The province’s emergency management minister says the region is “in a very dynamic situation” and communities should prepare for potential flooding, just in case.An atmospheric river is currently moving through the region, with a total of up to 130 millimetres of rain in the forecast.December 105 minutes agoRockslide closes Highway 7 west of HopeNick LoganDriveBC says Highway 7 is closed one kilometre west of the Haig Scale weigh station, just outside Hope, following a rockslide. Drivers are advised to use an alternative route.24 minutes agoWhat do the colour-coded warnings mean?Nick LoganHow Environment Canada’s new weather warning system worksStarting today, Environment and Climate Change Canada has changed the way it classifies its weather warnings. CBC Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon explains it’s all about risk and impact. Environment and Climate Change Canada updated its weather warning system last month to provide a colour-coded, risk-tiered system that aims to offer a clearer picture of extreme weather’s impact — and indicate how the public should prepare.The alert level is based on an assessment of both the potential impacts of the weather event and the forecast confidence.The changes align with recommendations from the World Meteorological Organization and have already been implemented by 31 weather agencies across Europe.The most common alert is yellow, which indicates hazardous weather that could cause moderate or localized effects — such as damage, service disruptions and/or health impacts — in the short term.Orange alerts are uncommon but are issued when forecasters have high confidence that severe weather is likely to cause significant damage, disruption or health impacts that are widespread and could last for a few days.Red alerts are rare but will be issued when very dangerous and possibly life-threatening weather is forecast and expected to cause extreme damage and prolonged disruption.42 minutes agoOutside the Fraser Valley, it’s yellow alertsNick LoganAreas of southwestern B.C. outside of the Fraser Valley are also experiencing heavy rain and are under a yellow warning. Environment and Climate Change Canada says those areas include Metro Vancouver, the western and southern coasts of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Sea-to-Sky Highway, other parts of the Fraser Valley, the Fraser Canyon from Hope to Boston Bar and the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merrit. Campbell said hazardous weather could cause localized issues, but conditions in these areas will be mostly typical for a winter rainstorm. 44 minutes agoParts of the region are under an orange weather warningNick LoganCentral and eastern areas of the Fraser Valley, including Chilliwack and Hope, as well as the stretch of Highway 3 between Hope to Princeton via the Allison Pass, are currently under an orange weather warning.Between 90 and 130 millimetres of rain is expected to fall before conditions improve — higher than previously expected. The heavy rain, which began Tuesday evening, is expected to continue through late this evening.49 minutes agoBaneet BraichInundated farmland on the Sumas Prairie this afternoon. (Baneet Braich/CBC)Driving around the Sumas Prairie, my colleagues and I are noticing extensive pooling in some farms.We are going to continue monitoring the situation from Vye, Boundary and Angus Campbell roads in Abbotsford.Should the Nooksack River overflow its banks, the city said it expects overland flow along these roads at various locations near the Canada/U.S. border.1 hour agoSandbags available for locals in AbbotsfordBaneet BraichSand is available at the Abbotsford Public Works Yard today. (Baneet Braich/CBC)I’m a CBC News reporter based in Abbotsford, B.C. Pools of water are forming on the roads here as the rain shows no signs of stopping. The City of Abbotsford said it has established an Emergency Operations Centre to continue monitoring the river levels, snowmelt and dikes closely. A statement said the city is keeping in contact with the province to monitor modelling of the Fraser River, “which helps to inform how Barrowtown Pump Station is operated.”Sand and sandbags are also available this afternoon outside the City of Abbotsford Public Works Yard.1 hour agoNick LoganCampbell also warned drivers that road washouts and flooding might occur, and added there is a potential for landslides.1 hour agoNick LoganCampbell said other areas might see higher flows and the centre will revise forecasts as the evening goes on, although other areas may see lower flows than expected.1 hour agoNooksack of particular concern: River Forecast CentreNick LoganDavid Campbell with the River Forecast Centre says rivers are expected to rise through the day and could reach peak levels today or even tomorrow for some of the larger waterways. The Nooksack in Washington is of particular concern because of the floods that happened during an atmospheric river in 2021.Right now, the Nooksack is expected to peak at 148.5 feet. Currently the river is at about 146.3 feet at Everson, Wash., where the overflow takes place, Campbell said. He said it’s expected the overflow will begin to spill into Canada in the coming hours. In 2021, the river rose to 150.3 feet. Campbell said it’s not likely the river will rise to that level again, but forecasters are monitoring conditions.1 hour agoRhianna SchmunkGreene said it’s not clear what the weather will do in the days ahead, but said the province is preparing for “all eventualities,” with lessons learned from the devastating flooding four years ago.”I want to acknowledge that these communities have been here before and are still recovering from the 2021 atmospheric river,” she said.Greene added that flood mitigation equipment is in place in the Fraser Valley, with improved communication to make sure those resources are deployed better this time around. She said there are “strong contingency plans in place” to support the Barrowtown pump station, which was nearly overwhelmed in 2021, and she said the Sumas dikes have been repaired.
Flood warning in place for parts of B.C.s Fraser Valley as heavy rain drenches region
