[An image of flood. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

The City of Abbotsford declared a state of local emergency and issued evacuation orders for hundreds of properties due to rising floodwaters linked to the Nooksack River.

In an information bulletin dated Dec.10, the city announced it issued an evacuation order for 371 properties in Sumas Prairie West due to the risk of flooding.

The city also said it issued evacuation alerts for Sumas Prairie east, and the alerts were in place for the rest of Sumas Prairie West and Clayburn Village, telling residents to be ready to leave on short notice if conditions worsened.

Abbotsford officials attributed the flood threat to an atmospheric river affecting the region and by river conditions south of the border.

The city stated that modelling predicted the Nooksack River would crest near the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s major flood stage, and the overflow water could reach the Canada and U.S border early on Dec 11.

By Dec 11, the city said floodwaters had started crossing into Abbotsford, which led to expanded evacuation coverage.

In a Dec 11 bulletin, Abbotsford stated that a new evacuation order was issued for 82 properties in Huntingdon Village, while the existing order remained in place for the 371 properties in Sumas Prairie West.

The city also reported that evacuation alerts remained in place for 1069 properties across Sumas Prairie East and West.

Flooding concerns also forced closure on major routes through the Fraser Valley.

On December 11, Abbotsford reported that the ministry of transportation and transit closed highway 1 from Sumas way to No. 3 Road due to floodwater on the highway.

Abbotsford also expanded evacuation orders to include locations north of highway 1 as floodwater spread.

In a corrected Dec 11 information bulletin, the city said it issued new evacuation orders for seven properties north of highway 1, including the Clarion hotel and several other listed addresses.

To support evacuated residents, the city opened a reception centre at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre and asked people under evacuation order to check in within 24 hours in person or online.

The city said first responders and staff were in affected areas delivering notices and assisting residents in evacuation.

In an additional update posted on Dec 11, Abbotsford said floodwaters in Sumas Prairie and Huntingdon Village were expected to peak within the following 12 hours.

That modelling and date from the 1990 flood event suggested water could reach highway 1 late that evening or early the next morning.

CityNews also reported on Dec 12 that Abbotsford expected floodwaters to peak before early Friday morning, citing the city’s modelling and references to the 1990 flood event.

Provincial agencies continued issuing transportation advisories as conditions shifted. 

A provincial news release later stated that Highway 1 in Abbotsford reopened in stages, with westbound lanes opening the evening of Dec 13 and an eastbound lane opening the morning of Dec 14.

Abbotsford advised residents to follow official updates and use the city’s evacuation information tools to confirm whether their address was in an evacuation order or alert zone as boundaries changed during the event.