Record rainfall on Monday following a wet and windy weekend in the B.C. has led to chaos all over the province.
The City of Abbotsford was one of the areas severely impacted and aerial footage reveals the extent of the devastating aftermath. Residents were urged to evacuate the Sumas Prairie on Tuesday, with over 200 people rescued overnight.
Video footage also reveals that Highway 1 leading in and out of the city has been flooded, leading to further concern for the area.
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Aerial Footage of Abbotsford
Highway 1 in #Abbotsford shut down due to rising flood waters pic.twitter.com/g9EW4Ap9F7
— Harpreet Pandher (@HarpPandher) November 16, 2021
#BCStorm update: Crews completed an aerial inspection this morning of our power lines along Highway 1 just east of Sumas in #Abbotsford affected by flooding. We’re continuing to post the latest outage updates here: https://t.co/nxhBxNPfKJ pic.twitter.com/VPxjGXDZqi
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) November 16, 2021
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Primarily an agricultural area, many residents are reported to have stayed in order to rescue livestock.
Thankfully most of the cattle were rescued by boat and local jet skis before being submerged.
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In addition, a structure fire at a local RV dealership in Abbotsford was also reported on Wednesday morning. Blowing large plumes of toxic smoke into the air. Residents are warned to stay inside.
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Rescue teams have described the situation as “severe” as they work around the clock to restore safety. Several reports indicate the B.C. government is on the verge of declaring a provincial state of emergency within the next 24-hours.
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