B.C. evacuation orders and alerts expand as floods cut off Lower Mainland

ABBOTSFORD — Evacuation orders and alerts in southern British Columbia expanded overnight, as floodwaters and landslides cut off the Lower Mainland from the Interior.

Highway closures have been widened to include Highway 11 in both directions, shutting the Sumas border crossing, while the Coquihalla, and highways 1, 3 and 5 were also cut.

The threat of major flooding caused by the swollen Nooksack River, which broke its banks in Washington state on Wednesday, saw the City of Abbotsford order residents of 371 properties on the Sumas Prairie to evacuate overnight, while more than 600 remain under an evacuation alert.

Local states of emergency have also been declared in Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley Regional District, while the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen told residents of the community of Tulameen to be prepared to evacuate early this morning.

The drenching rains brought by an atmospheric river system that slammed both side of the border recall 2021 floods that saw waters from the Nooksack inundate the Sumas Prairie, causing billions in damage.

Connie Chapman, executive director of the provincial Water Management Branch, says outflows from the Nooksack rival those of four years ago, and were expected to peak today.

Environment Canada says the rains peaked in the Fraser valley, where 140 millimetres were recorded in Hope and 110 millimetres in Chilliwack up to 4 a.m.

A state of emergency has also been declared in Washington, with Amtrak trains between Seattle and Vancouver suspended.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec, 11, 2025.

The Canadian Press