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Floodwaters continue to gradually recede on Saturday, says the City of Abbotsford.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
Residents and farmers in the Fraser Valley are hoping for water levels to continue falling as they begin to take stock of the damage inflicted by floods that burst over the Nooksack River’s banks earlier this week, drowning farmland in B.C.’s southern interior near the U.S. border.
It’s a grim weekend for Matt Dykshoorn’s brother and father, whose chicken barns were submerged in floodwaters this week, killing their flock of chickens despite frantic sandbagging efforts to save the birds.
“There’s 30,000 dead birds. They’re working on cleaning it out right now,” said Mr. Dykshoorn on Saturday morning from his Sumas Prairie dairy farm. Days earlier he successfully evacuated 70 cattle that would have otherwise drowned in nearly two metres of water.
Outside, uprooted fence posts, plastic tires, propane bottles and other debris stuck out of ditches.
Earlier: Flooding displaces hundreds in B.C.’s Fraser Valley
Mr. Dykshoorn said his parents bought the farm 27 years ago and the surrounding area has been reliable farmland for many decades. But three floods in five years have changed that.
“I can’t live knowing that my herd is safe for 360 days a year, for five days a year they might drown,” he said.
Floodwaters continued to gradually recede on Saturday, the City of Abbotsford said in a statement, with some areas significantly improving. Water from the Nooksack River flowed into the area on Thursday and Friday, cutting off transportation links between Metro Vancouver and the rest of the country.
There have been no reports of injuries.
Evacuation orders for 460 properties remained in place, the city said, as were evacuation alerts for 1,069 properties. The city said it’s working on its return-to-home plan, and assessments to determine whether homes are safe to re-enter have begun.
Placards are being left on doors advising owners whether they can return home.
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Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens, who has lashed out at Ottawa for a lack of helping the city after a 2021 flood, has met with federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
Several roadways, including the Trans-Canada Highway, are still closed east of Abbotsford. There is currently “no way” to Chilliwack through Abbotsford or eastern parts of British Columbia. Apple Maps and other digital navigation tools are showing inaccurate information, the city said, warning that drivers who venture through side roads may get stuck.
Environment Canada said more rain was expected Sunday and warned of an increased risk of landslides, as the rainfall may destabilize slopes.
Five to 10 millimetres were expected to fall in Abbotsford on Saturday, and another 10 to 20 millimetres overnight Sunday, said a spokesperson for Environment Canada.
A flood warning for the Sumas River continued through Saturday afternoon. A B.C. government spokesperson said the province will likely hold its next update on Monday.
Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens, who on Friday lashed out at Ottawa for making “empty promises” to help the area after catastrophic flooding in 2021 killed tens of thousands of animals, met with federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, the City of Abbotsford wrote on social media late Friday.
Farmers in B.C. flood zone frustrated that politicians failed to learn from last disaster
Ms. Olszewski advised of potential future grant opportunities for Abbotsford, the city wrote.
“Mayor Siemens appreciates the minister reaching out and hopes this time is different and that the federal government takes our requests seriously,” the city wrote.
Ms. Olszewski said in a Friday social media post that she is staying in contact with Mr. Siemens and said Ottawa is standing by to respond to requests from the B.C. government.
Mr. Dykshoorn, for his part, said he believes the area has passed through the worst of the rain; most of the snow from the mountains – the biggest threat for flooding, he said – has melted into the river.
His herd of 70 cattle are staying on his cousin’s property and his 80 milking cows are in a safe barn on his farm. But he’s already expecting 2026 to be an expensive year, as the perennial grass fields that would have fed his herd next spring are now covered in mud.
“Do I have to walk away from this? I can’t farm this way.”
