This Is How Today’s Abbotsford Flood Compares To 1990's

Abbotsford is flooding, but not for the first time. A recent bout of torrential rainfall caused by an atmospheric river is causing the region to be doused with massive amounts of water, leading to evacuation orders, alerts, and warnings. Schools are shut down, families are hunting for shelter, and farmers are working hard to get their livestock to dry ground.

But all of this is a very familiar sight. While it’s comparable to the 2021 floods, data suggests that it’s much closer to those that happened in 1990.

Flooding In Abbotsford: Then And Now

This week’s forecast included an atmospheric river that would be passing over Metro Vancouver, as well as Washington state. Many areas received a fair drenching, but Washington’s Nooksack River began to overflow and feed into Fraser Valley, leading to the floods.

According to an information bulletin from the City of Abbotsford, “the River Forecast at North Cedarville shows the Noksack River reached major flood stage and peaked at 3 a.m.” on December 11.

Abbotsford flooding — Image from 2021 Abbotsford floods. Used for reference.
Photo: BC Hydro

Data suggests that today’s floods are similar to those that occurred in 1990, and is a smaller event compared to 2021. In 1990, the western side of Sumas Prairie was overwhelmed by the floodwaters, and Highway 1 was closed, although the protective dikes around the Sumas lakebed were not breached. This is unlike what happened back in 2021, when the dikes failed and water swelled the surrounding Abbotsford region in floodwaters.

Today’s Floodwaters

As of December 12, Highway 1 remains closed and evacuation orders have been expanded to 7 properties north of Highway. All other evacuation orders are still in place for the 82 properties in Huntingdon Village and 371 properties in Sumas Prairie West. Evacuation alerts are also still in place for 1,069 properties in Sumas Prairie East and West.

Residents are being advised to stay away from waterways and to avoid driving across water-covered roads and bridges.

While today’s floods are technically a lesser event than the ones that hit in 2021, it’s still important to heed the City of Abbotsford’s orders, alerts, and warnings and stay clear of any flooded areas. For more information, check here.