Flood warning downgraded for Sumas River as wet weather improves
BC’s River Forecast Centre has downgraded a previous warning over flood concerns in the Fraser Valley and the Sumas River.
Late Sunday night, the warning was changed to a watch.
“High flows on the Nooksack River in Washington State have reached local flood stage, with
stage at the Nooksack River near Cedarville gauge reaching 147.2 ft at 12:30 pm Sunday,” it said online. “Water levels have peaked at 83.8 ft at the USGS gauge at Everson (12211200) earlier this evening and have now dropped to below 83 ft and are continuing to recede. Flows are not anticipated to overflow in the Sumas River overnight.”
It’s a major relief for people in that region who remember the 2021 floods, when an atmospheric river led to devastation and the breach of the Sumas dike in Abbotsford.
Flood warnings are issued when “river levels have exceeded bankfull or will exceed bankfull imminently, and that flooding of areas adjacent to the rivers affected will result,” according to the River Forecast Centre.
Meanwhile, a flood watch advisory is in place for the South Coast and Vancouver Island.
“A series of potent storms [are] impacting coastal British Columbia. Initial storms have delivered 50 to 160 mm through most of the region since Friday,” a statement reads.
Flood Warning and Advisory Notifications as of 5:30 pm Sunday.
Forecasts predict the next atmospheric river event will occur late Sunday through Monday. Another system is expected Monday into Tuesday.
However, Environment and Climate Change Canada has also downgraded a rainfall statement for Metro Vancouver and surrounding areas, and as of Monday morning, only the Sea to Sky between Squamish and Whistler is expected to see significant precipitation.
ECCC
“A series of storms will continue to bring periods of heavy rain and very warm temperatures to the BC coast. Periods of heavy rain are occurring in Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky between Squamish and Whistler. The heavy rain is expected to continue until Tuesday morning,” ECCC said.
Water pooling on roads could be hazardous, so travel delays, power outages, fallen tree branches, strong winds and landslides are all possible.