VANCOUVER - A city east of Vancouver is racing against time to build a levee as floodwaters rise and put more properties at risk following unprecedented rainfall in southwestern British Columbia.
Henry Braun, the mayor of Abbotsford, said Canadian Forces troops are expected to join contractors to help build the temporary 2.5-kilometre dike to keep out water from the overflowing Sumas River.
A heli just landed on the dyke to view the destruction. This is dangerous & impacting flood repairs. @Transport_gc issued #NOTAM restricting all aircraft & drones from flying lower than 1000ft btwn #AbbotsfordAirport & #ChilliwackAirport. Pls work with us to help those affected
— Abbotsford Police Department (@AbbyPoliceDept) November 19, 2021
Braun said assessments on construction of the levee were expected to begin Friday in an effort to prevent further devastation to the Sumas Prairie farming area, which has experienced the highest levels of flooding.
"Time is the biggest challenge," Braun said late Thursday, adding a forecast calling for up to 100 millimetres of rain next week is a big worry after existing dikes had broken.
"Until that hole is filled in the breach and the levee is built, the water continues to pour into the prairie," he said.
The city will need access to between six and 12 homes in order to build the levy, he said, adding the process to contact owners was just beginning.
"One house is too much, and if it was my house I'd be concerned too. But there aren't many options here."
Speaking from Washington, D.C., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday night that 120 Canadian Armed Forces personnel had been sent to support relief efforts in Abbotsford.
A military reconnaissance group had also been dispatched to the provincial emergency operation centre in Surrey, and more than 200 troops were on standby in Edmonton awaiting orders to deploy.
Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Friday that interim measures are being set up with the United States to move commercial goods to B.C. after the flooding cut off access to multiple highways in the province.
"These interim measures are largely intended for Canadian domestic truck carriers that do not normally cross the border in the course of their business. Any Canadian carriers that currently operate between the United States and Canada as well as domestically are encouraged to follow the standard procedures," Mendicino said.
The B.C. government was expected to provide more information Friday about the state of emergency it has declared after an atmospheric river hit parts of the province, bringing more rain in 48 hours than is normal during the entire month of November.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has said those measures could include an order preventing passage for all but essential travellers and commercial vehicles as limited access is slowly restored along some highways.
An estimated 17,000 people remain out of their homes as evacuation orders cover some 6,900 properties.
The province has announced that financial assistance will be available for people affected by the flooding and landslides.
Search efforts are continuing at a landslide along Highway 99 south of Lillooet where a woman's body was recovered this week, and RCMP have said four people have been reported missing in that area.
In Merritt, where an evacuation order was issued for the entire town of 7,000, inspectors are assessing damage to properties.
Homes will be tagged as red, yellow or green, and residences with the latter colour will be allowed to return to collect belongings and begin remediation efforts, the city in B.C.'s Interior region said in a written statement.
It says crews are testing the drinking water system and sanitation lines are being flushed to remove debris to allow flow back to the wastewater treatment plant, which had failed.
The Merritt Emergency Operations Centre is in the process of launching a call centre to better help residents with inquiries, and the city has begun planning for social supports when residents return to the community, it says.
"The city is conducting planning for the partial rescinding of the evacuation order for areas of the city that were not directly affected by flooding, once the critical infrastructure comes back online."
