Monday recap: B.C. flood risks remain ‘dynamic and evolving,’ officials say

Floodwaters receded, roads reopened and more evacuees returned home—but officials say the situation remains “dynamic and evolving.”

There are flood warnings, wind warnings and travel advisories in effect in parts of B.C.’s Lower Mainland on Monday afternoon, as officials continue monitoring the impacts of the region’s latest atmospheric river.

Here is a recap of Monday’s updates.

6 p.m. Highway 1 closed in Fraser Canyon

Highway 1 has been closed in both directions between Yale and Boston Bar due to “rocks, trees, and hydro lines on the road,” according to DriveBC.

The closure comes as wind warnings are in effect for the region, with gusts of up to 100 km/h possible.

5:45 p.m. Stay away from trees, Fraser Valley city warns

Downed trees are causing power outages and road closures Thursday, prompting a warning from officials in Chilliwack.

“Please stay away from trees, especially in parks, trails and wooded areas,” the city said in a social media post.

“Local utility outages are possible, and the saturated ground and high winds can increase the risk of falling branches and uprooted trees.”

4:30 p.m. Wind warnings replace rainfall warnings

All rainfall warnings have been lifted on the Lower Mainland but wind warnings are now in effect for the eastern Fraser Valley and the Fraser Canyon, according to Environment Canada.

The weather agency says gusts of up to 100 km/h are possible Monday evening, as a low-pressure system moves through the region.

“Local utility outages are possible. Secure loose objects. Prepare for possible disruptions to transportation, services, and utilities,” the wind warning said.

A special weather statement is also in effect for the Coquihalla Highway due to wind.

“Exercise caution when driving in crosswind prone areas,” the statement said.

“Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions.”

Winds are expected to ease by late evening, the weather agency said.

4:15 p.m. More evacuation orders lifted as some roads reopen in Abbotsford

Evacuation orders have been downgraded to alerts for 39 more properties in Abbotsford, an update from the city said.

Thirty-six properties remain under order while 449 are under alert.

Improving conditions also allowed some roads to reopen in the Sumas Prairie—with some limited to local traffic only.

“There are still a number of closures, so drivers are reminded to follow traffic control and avoid the area if possible,” the city’s update said, adding that up-to-date information can be found online here.

According to DriveBC, the Sumas border crossing has also reopened.

4 p.m. 90,000 customers in the dark due to storm

The number of customers without power climbed to roughly 90,000 Monday afternoon after a storm swept through B.C.’s South Coast, according to BC Hydro.

Strong winds were responsible for the widespread outages, a statement from the utility said.

“After several years of drought, weakened vegetation across the province has made trees and branches more susceptible to wind damage,” the statement added.

“Many dead or damaged trees have fallen onto BC Hydro’s electrical equipment, causing widespread outages.”

Roughly 50,000 customers are without power in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, while approximately 40,000 are in the dark on Vancouver Island.

“BC Hydro crews and contractors are working to repair damage to power lines, power poles and other equipment. Restoration efforts will continue throughout the evening and overnight,” according to the update.

Anyone who sees a downed power line is urged to report it by calling 911 immediately and to stay at least 10 metres away.

1:10 p.m. Rivers to peak over coming hours

Connie Chapman, executive director of the provincial Water Management Branch, said river flows are “just starting to peak” and will continue doing so “over the next couple hours before starting to recede.”

“The weather event that we had been watching for Sunday-Monday has now since passed,” Chapman said at Monday’s B.C. government news conference.

She reiterated that flood warnings remain in place on the North Shore Mountains and for the Sumas and Chilliwack rivers, but that officials are not currently expecting the Nooksack to send more water into the province Monday.

“For the remainder of the week, we can expect ongoing unsettled weather, but cooler temperatures means that more snowfall will happen at the higher elevations versus rain,” Chapman said.

1:04 p.m. Situation ‘dynamic and evolving,’ officials say

Kelly Greene, B.C.’s emergency management and climate readiness minister, said officials are continuing to monitor a “dynamic and evolving situation” in the province.

“The risks are real,” Greene said at a news conference Monday afternoon. “The ground is saturated in many areas, the rivers are full, additional rainfall is going to increase the potential for more flooding and landslides.”

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said the government has not received any reports Monday of rising waters on farms in the Fraser Valley.

“My ministry staff remain in close touch with farmers and industry associations to ensure that they are prepared and they are receiving timely information,” Popham added.

Officials said they’ve received early reports of a rockslide along Highway 20, but could not provide any further details.

12:50 p.m. New evacuation alert along Chilliwack River

The Fraser Valley Regional District has issued a new evacuation alert for properties along the Chilliwack River.

Residents on Sheldon and Osborne roads, located southeast of Chilliwack, are asked to be ready to leave on short notice due to high river flows.

12:30 p.m. Highway 99 reopens

Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet is fully reopened, DriveBC announced.

The travel advisory that was in place due to risk of falling rocks, debris flow and washouts has also been lifted.

11:48 a.m. Castle Fun Park, Clarion Hotel evacuations downgraded

Officials have downgraded evacuation orders for two Abbotsford landmarks—Castle Fun Park and the Clarion Hotel—to evacuation alerts.

In an update, the City of Abbotsford said anyone who returns to either site should “remain prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.”

Castle Fun Park has said it will remain closed until Wednesday, at the earliest.

There are currently 75 properties still under evacuation orders issued during last week’s flooding, while 410 others are under evacuation alerts.

11:06 a.m. Highway 1 reopening eastbound through Abbotsford

Traffic congestion could soon be easing along Highway 1 through Abbotsford.

The Abbotsford Police Department has confirmed crews are in the process of reopening both eastbound lanes of the highway from Sumas Way to Number 3 Road.

“We know Sumas Way is heavily backed up, we know eastbound traffic is heavily backed up—bear with us,” Sgt. Paul Walker said in a social media video. “It should be open soon.”

Two onramps at Whatcom Road are reopening as well.

10 a.m. Nooksack not ‘currently’ projected to flood

Overflow from the Nooksack River in Washington state has stopped coming over the Canadian border, the City of Abbotsford said in a Monday morning update.

Officials also said the Nooksack—which spilled its banks during last week’s atmospheric river, sending a deluge of water into Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie that continue for several days—is not “currently” projected to reach flood stage.

Emergency staff will be monitoring water levels closely throughout the day, as crews assess culverts, bridges and road conditions, the city said.

Highway 1 is also “expected to fully reopen eastbound between Whatcom Road and Number 3 Road” at some point Monday, according to the update.

9:16 a.m. News conference announced this afternoon

Officials will be providing an update on the flood risks in B.C. beginning at 1 p.m. Monday.

Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene and Agriculture Minister Lana Popham will be speaking at the event, sharing details on the government’s response to the unfolding situation and taking questions from reporters.

They’ll be joined by Connie Chapman of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and several technical experts.

CTV News will be streaming the update live on our website.

8:30 a.m.: New flood watches issued

Two high streamflow advisories have been upgraded to flood watches, meaning that river levels are rising and “will approach or may exceed bankfull,” according to the River Forecast Centre.

One is for the South Coast—including the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound and Sea to Sky Areas—while the other is for the Englishman River on Vancouver Island.

Other previously issued flood watches remain in place for the Kingcome River and for tributaries of the Lower Fraser River, including the Lillooet River and others around Pemberton, the Fraser Valley, Fraser Canyon and the Coast Mountains.

8:15 a.m. Hydro crews dealing with thousands of power outage

BC Hydro crews have been working to restore power to thousands of properties across the Lower Mainland.

There were more than 9,000 customers without electricity as of 8:15 a.m.

An outage affecting “large sections” of West Vancouver was blamed on downed wires and transmission circuit failure. The issue also caused some house alarms to activate, according to the West Vancouver Police Department.

“Residents are advised to be especially careful when driving and to treat intersections with traffic-signal disruptions as four-way stops,” the WVPD said in a social media post.

6 a.m. Flood warning issued on North Shore

The River Forecast Centre has upgraded a flood watch for the North Shore Mountains to a flood warning, citing the combined impacts of heavy rain and melting snowpack.

“The added rain-on-snow contribution is resulting in rapid rises of the rivers for the North Shore, with the Seymour River already reaching a 50-year flow,” the warning reads.

“Heavy rain and high streamflow bring increased risk for unstable banks, river erosion, submerged roads, swift water hazards, flooding and landslides. Stay clear of the banks of swift running rivers and never drive across flooded roads, bridges or river crossings.”

Previously issued flood warnings for the Sumas River and the Chilliwack River remain in effect Monday as well.

Flood warnings are the highest level of alert issued by the River Forecast Centre.

3 a.m.: Atmospheric river prompts rainfall warnings

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued several rainfall warnings for parts of the Lower Mainland, including Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

The agency said a “strong frontal system” is expected to deliver 40 to 80 millimetres of rain Monday, with higher terrain areas forecast to experience the highest amounts.

“The rain is expected to ease by early this evening as the system moves off. Localized flooding is likely,” the warning reads. “Landslides may occur in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes, deforested areas or recent burn scars.”

Other rainfall warnings are in place for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt, and Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton.

The latest Environment Canada warnings and alerts are available on the agency’s website.

12 a.m. Several highway closures in effect

On Sunday night, the B.C. government proactively shut down two highways in anticipation of potential flooding, rockfall, debris flow and washouts amid the latest atmospheric river

Highway 1 between Hope and Lytton and Highway 99 between Mount Currie and Lillooet remained closed Monday morning, and officials have not provided an estimated reopening time.

There are also travel advisories in place for a number of major routes due to the rain, including a stretch of Highway 1 through Abbotsford and Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt.

Highway 3 remains closed between Hope and 64 kilometres west of Princeton due to debris on the road.

The latest on road closures is available on the DriveBC website.