Flooding expected in parts of B.C.’s Fraser Valley, North Shore Mountains amid rainfall warnings

The power is out for thousands in B.C.’s Lower Mainland Monday morning and flooding is expected in parts of the Fraser Valley and North Shore Mountains as another round of heavy rain batters the province.

Environment Canada has issued orange-level rainfall warnings for parts of the west and central Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford and Chilliwack, as well as the Skagit Valley, warning that up to 80 millimetres of rain could fall in higher elevations.

Orange warnings indicate severe weather that is likely to cause significant damage or disruption.

Lower-level yellow rainfall warnings, which signal hazardous but moderate impacts, are also in effect for Metro Vancouver, the Sea-to-Sky corridor, Vancouver Island and in the province’s central and north coast. Forecasters say the heaviest rain is expected during the day Monday, and will taper off in the evening.

River warnings in place

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has upgraded the Chilliwack River and its tributaries to a flood warning, meaning river levels have exceeded or are expected to imminently exceed river banks, resulting in flooding in nearby areas.

The centre also upgraded the North Shore Mountains to a flood warning Monday morning.

In its latest advisory, it said rainfall rates are exceeding 10 millimetres per hour in the North Shore and above-freezing temperatures are allowing rain to melt snowpack at higher elevations.

The combination of heavy rain and snowmelt is driving rapid rises in local rivers, according to the centre, with the Seymour River already reaching a 50-year flow level.

Officials warned that flooding of areas adjacent to rivers is likely.

A flood watch is in place for tributaries of the lower Fraser River, including areas around Pemberton and the Fraser Canyon, as well as the Kingcome and Englishman rivers. This means rivers are rising and may result in flooding.

Meanwhile, high streamflow advisories, which indicate rapidly rising water levels but no major flooding expected, remain in effect across much of the coast, Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and parts of the Interior.

The province says a flood warning also remains in place for the Sumas River, while modelling suggests a lower likelihood of overflow from the nearby Nooksack River in Washington state, which contributed to last week’s flooding.

Connie Chapman with the province’s water management branch said while this system is forecast to be weaker than last week’s storm, uncertainty remains.

WATCH | Locals anxiously await next storm amid flood recovery:

Abbotsford, B.C, residents anxiously await next storm amid flood recovery

Flood response efforts continue in Abbotsford. The city says areas in the Sumas Prairie are seeing notable improvements. But as Baneet Braich reports, officials warn more heavy rainfall is on the way.

“We do know that the precipitation amounts going to fall are going to land differently than what we saw last week,” Chapman said Sunday during a media briefing. “How that’s fully going to play out … is a little uncertain.”

She said the forecast was less intense than last week, but officials were still concerned about areas already impacted by flooding being hit again. 

Power outages across North Shore, Fraser Valley

B.C. Hydro says thousands of customers were without power Monday morning due to weather-related outages linked to the storm.

On the North Shore, about 16,000 customers were affected when suspected high winds downed a wire, but service was restored by 9 a.m., according to B.C. Hydro.

In the Fraser Valley, about 8,300 customers across Surrey, Richmond and Langley remain without power because of stormy conditions and heavy rain.

B.C. Hydro says crews are on site and working to restore power.

Evacuations and road closures

B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said flood and landslide risks are expected to increase as the storm moves through.

“We aren’t through this yet,” Greene said Sunday. “While road conditions are currently improving, they may change quickly due to flooding.”

In Abbotsford, floodwaters have been receding, allowing officials to lift or downgrade many evacuation orders over the weekend. The city says evacuation alerts for more than 1,000 properties have been lifted, though some properties in Sumas Prairie remain under evacuation order or alert.

Evacuation orders remain in place for 77 properties in the city and 408 properties are still under evacuation alert.

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said 56 farms remain under evacuation order, with another 13 on alert, after flooding caused damage to barns and led to some poultry deaths in the area.

The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit has warned of short-notice highway closures due to the risk of rockfall, debris flows and washouts. 

As a precaution, Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon between Hope and Lytton and Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet were closed overnight Sunday and remain closed Monday morning.

On Sunday morning, Highway 1 through Abbotsford opened to traffic in both directions after floodwater receded, with one eastbound lane and both westbound lanes available.

DriveBC has a list of all other road closures and reopenings.

Drivers are being urged to avoid flooded roads and told to expect delays and monitor conditions closely as the weather system moves through.