River levels similar to 2021 as Fraser Valley braces for possible flooding

River levels similar to 2021

Photo: CTV News

A flooded road in Abbotsford on Dec. 10, 2025

UPDATE 9:45 p.m.

The amount of water topping to Nooksack River is similar to what was seen in 2021, but government officials say there are a number of factors that could alter the severity of the flooding event this time around.

A series of atmospheric river weather systems caused the City of Abbotsford to issue an evacuation alert for residents in the Sumas Prairie west and the Clayburn village late Wednesday, and highways closures have cut off the Lower Mainland from the B.C. Interior.

During a Wednesday night press conference, Connie Chapman, executive director of water management with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, said the Nooksack River topped its banks around 2 p.m. in Washington State, and those flows are making their way through the U.S. towards the border and into the Sumas Prairie.

Chapman said rainfall in the Fraser Valley has started to ease, and models are showing Nooksack River flows will peak around 10 p.m. Wednesday night and hold until 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday morning.

“After this we should start to see the flows decline, and by about 10 a.m. we should start to see the Nooksack River River enter back into its banks, she said.

Chapman said the amount of water coming out of the Nooksack River is similar in volume to levels seen in 2021, during a major atmospheric river event that caused significant flooding and billions of dollars in damage, as well as in 1990.

But she said there are a number of variables that may change the severity of the scenario, including a much shorter duration of flooding and easing rainfall.

“Though the volume is the same amount, that is moving at that instantaneous rate, the time period is shorter than what was seen in 2021 and 1990,” Chapman said.

“We could potentially see situations similar to what was experienced in 2021 and 1990, or we could see different scenarios where maybe there isn't as much impact.”

Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene said a “lot of lessons” were learned during the 2021 floods, and a number of improvements have been made.

Greene said those improvements include greater communication and coordination between communities, the province and Washington State in the U.S., improved monitoring stations, and breaches in a dike in the Sumas area have been repaired.

“We are in a much more knowledgeable spot than we have been historically and that's helping with preparation,” she said.

Greene said crews are on standby to assist local governments if the situation grows beyond their capacity, and pre-positioned flood control resources, including over $5 million in sandbags, are available as well.

Highways 1, 3, 5 and 99 are all now closed, or are in the process of being closed. A travel advisory has also been issued for areas of the Fraser Valley.

Janelle Staite, deputy director for the South Coast Region with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, said a damage assessment of the Highway 1 and 5 corridor would be conducted at first light on Thursday.

“We’re also able to start working on restoring access by removing any of the rock hazards and ensuring that the roads are safe for folks to go through,” she said.

“We recognize the criticality of these corridors and the criticality of their connections, and certainly have all hands on deck to ensure we get those accesses restored as soon as we can.”

Photo: eopugetsound.org

Three forks and the main stream of the Nooksack River. Light green shows the river drainage areas, some of which reaches into the Fraser Valley.

UPDATE: 4:50 p.m.

The City of Abbotsford has issued an evacuation alert for residents in the Sumas Prairie west and the Clayburn village late Wednesday, saying people need to plan ahead and be ready to leave.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has warned of possible spillover from the Nooksack River in Washington state — the same scenario that unfolded in November 2021, when overflowing rivers and flooding caused billions in damage.

Evacuation orders have also been issued for eight properties along the Chilliwack River, with residents told to leave immediately.

The City of Abbotsford said it issued the evacuation alert after conversations with officials within the provincial government based on their modelling, which shows the flooding may be more than was seen in 2020, but not as significant as the 2021 event.

There was a risk of landslides, debris flows, mudslides and flooding due to the heavy rain, the Fraser Valley Regional District said in its emergency declaration issued Wednesday.

It said the emergency order would remain in place for 14 days unless conditions improve enough to rescind it earlier.

The deluge follows a month of above-average rainfall.

Photo: City of Abbotsford

Abbotsford evacuation alert areas

UPDATE: 4:05 p.m.

As rain pummelled the Fraser Valley on Wednesday, poultry farmer Corry Spitters and his family started to calculate their possible losses, with memories of the devastation from flooding four years ago still vivid.

An atmospheric river is washing over southern British Columbia, triggering a state of local emergency in the Fraser Valley and the evacuation of several properties, amid warnings of up to 110 millimetres of rain in the forecast.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre has warned of possible spillover from the Nooksack River in Washington state — the same scenario that unfolded in November 2021, when overflowing rivers and flooding caused billions in damage.

"We're just going through what our liabilities are if things get any worse," said Spitters, whose Oranya Farm lost 200,000 chickens during the catastrophic flooding in 2021.

"One of our neighbours right now has got a full crew out there harvesting Brussels sprouts, because they've got to salvage what they can because it's probably going to be underwater by tomorrow."

Spitters' remarks reflect the unease in the Fraser Valley as the river forecast centre issued a flood warning Wednesday for the Lower Fraser and Skagit basins, spanning the entirety of the Fraser Valley and most of Metro Vancouver.

"Rivers are expected to rise through Wednesday in response to heavy rain and snowmelt, with peak levels forecasted later Wednesday, and into Thursday for larger river systems," the warning said.

"Heavier rainfall south of the border may lead to flooding along the Nooksack River, with a potential for spilling into the Sumas River," it said. "The highest river levels are currently expected around the Fraser Valley, including the Chilliwack River and surrounding areas."

Evacuation orders have been issued for eight properties along the Chilliwack River, with residents told to leave immediately.

There was a risk of landslides, debris flows, mudslides and flooding due to the heavy rain, the Fraser Valley Regional District said in its emergency declaration issued Wednesday.

It said the emergency order would remain in place for 14 days unless conditions improve enough to rescind it earlier.

The deluge follows a month of above-average rainfall.

Dave Campbell, with the river forecast centre, told a news briefing that the rain was more intense in Washington state, with the potential for the Nooksack River to flood into the Fraser Valley again.

He said U.S. authorities have indicated the river would peak at 148.5 feet and it was just a few feet below that on Wednesday afternoon.

By comparison, he said the river peaked at 150.3 feet during the 2021 flood, sending a torrent of water over dikes and into the Fraser Valley, flooding farms and overrunning Highway 1, cutting off the main route to and from B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene also said "the primary risk" was water surging from the Nooksack.

"What this means is that we are in a very dynamic situation, and people and communities must prepare for potential flooding, particularly in low lying areas," she told the briefing.

She said that while officials don't yet know exactly what Wednesday and the days ahead would bring, the province was "preparing for all eventualities," and there have been improvements since 2021.

Greene pointed to new monitoring stations on both sides of the border, cameras on the Canadian side, better communication and a new alert system, while upgrades to Abbotsford's Barrowtown Pump Station, which narrowly avoided inundation in 2021, were underway.

The storms began washing over southern B.C. on Monday. Environment Canada said up to 110 millimetres of rain would fall before it pushed out.

A statement from the City of Abbotsford said it had established an emergency operations centre in response to the flood warning.

A number of roads along the U.S. border would likely be flooded if the Nooksack River overflows, it said.

The water has historically taken around seven hours to reach the city, where officials were closely monitoring key locations and dikes, with staff posted full time at the Barrowtown Pump Station, it said.

"We are preparing to close roads at low spots later today," said the statement.

While the forecast was indicating water levels would be below those of the 2021 flood, it said officials were considering similar levels as a "possible scenario" if rainfall totals land at the higher end of the predicted range.

Environment Canada said the heaviest rainfall was forecast for the eastern Fraser Valley from Chilliwack east along the Highway 3 corridor to Princeton.

ORIGINAL: 3:05 p.m.

B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene says a state of local emergency has been declared in the Fraser Valley due to flood risks from a series of atmospheric river weather systems that are drenching the province.

Evacuation orders have also been issued for eight properties along the Chilliwack River, with residents being told to leave immediately.

The Fraser Valley Regional District says there's a risk of landslides, debris flows, mudslides and flooding due to the heavy rain, which follows a month of above average rainfall.

Greene says the situation is "very dynamic" and people in low-lying areas need to be ready for flooding.

The district says the emergency order will remain in place for 14 days, unless rescinded.

The storms began washing over southern B.C. on Monday and Environment Canada says up to 110 millimetres of rain will fall before it pushes out.