The mayor of Abbotsford is ‘extremely concerned’ about the risk of flooding from the U.S.

Key takeaways:

• Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said his municipality is “extremely concerned” about the possibility of floods in the U.s this weekend.
• The Nooksack River is anticipated to overrun its banks this weekend, flooding the community of Everson.

Mayor Henry Braun of Abbotsford said his community is “very anxious” about the likelihood of US flooding arriving this weekend.

Braun stated he talked with officials in Whatcom County, Washington, Saturday morning to address flooding from the Nooksack River during a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Because of infrastructure damage and silt accumulation, he claimed US officials warned him it’s “difficult” to anticipate how catastrophic the river’s flooding will be during the current storm.

Braun is optimistic that Abbotsford’s dike and pump infrastructure will manage the 120 mm of rain expected by Sunday morning. He’s not sure how the city will cope if the Nooksack floods – or how severe the flooding would be.

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“In a very short period, we’ve done everything we can,” Braun added.

According to Washington officials, the Nooksack River is anticipated to overrun its banks this weekend, flooding the community of Everson.

Floodwaters may potentially make their way to the US city of Sumas, causing more flooding in Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie north of the border.

Since a severe storm brought floodwater from the Nooksack north earlier this month, much grassland has been flooded for nearly two weeks.

On Saturday, soldiers from the Canadian Forces put sandbags along a rail line near the US border in Abbotsford in preparation for a possible flood.

Braun began his remarks by stating that the situation on Sumas Prairie had remained steady and that the Barrowtown Pump Station, which drains the old Sumas Lake into the Fraser River, was running at full capacity.

“We watched floodwater levels drop by nine inches on the Sumas Prairie lake bottom in 24 hours last night,” the mayor stated. “It’s possible that won’t be the case today or tomorrow.”

Residents of Abbotsford’s Huntingdon village, who are on evacuation notice, have been told that floodwaters from the Nooksack could hit them.

“We will do our utmost to provide citizens with as much advance notice as possible before an evacuation order is issued,” Braun added. “However, residents must be prepared to leave immediately because, due to shifting conditions, we may only receive little notice.”

According to the mayor, residents in the Huntingdon region could pick up sandbagging supplies for their homes at Huntingdon Park. According to Braun, such goods are also available at Albert Dyck Park for citizens from other city regions.

Source: CTV News

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