ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia – The City of Abbotsford issued an urgent evacuation order Tuesday night for residents in the Sumas Prairie.
A possible failure of the Barrowtown Pump Station caused worries that water from the Fraser River could inundate the area and cause catastrophic flooding.
Abbotsford’s mayor said on Wednesday that the station was still operating and flood worries have eased a bit.
But he says the danger has not passed.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management Deputy Director John Gargett says flooding across the border should not impact Whatcom County.
“We had, last night, Sumas Police and Fire out in the field making sure levels weren’t changing, which is good news,” says Gargett. “We also had river and flood engineers up until midnight analyzing what if scenarios. While it could happen theoretically, it would not reach Sumas for probably four to five days. There’s no imminent threat to the Sumas Area.”
The city says residents need to abandon their efforts to save livestock and if you can’t evacuate you should call 911.