Major highways to the lower mainland closed due to weather impacts from atmospheric river

An Atmospheric river is currently impacting the lower mainland, prompting a localized state of emergency within the Fraser Valley Regional District due to flooding risks, as well as forcing the closure of most major highways linking the lower mainland with the central interior.

Highway 1 remains closed to eastbound traffic at Highway 9, as well as between Hope and Yale, but has reopened to traffic between Yale and Lytton.

Highway 3 is closed between Hope and Princeton due to debris on the road.

Highway 5 is closed in both directions between Hope and Merritt due to flooding near Sowaqua.

Highway 7 has partially reopened between Highway 9 and Ross Road following a rockslide with single lane alternating traffic for about 28kms.

Highway 8 is open only to local traffic.

The Sumas border crossing is closed to commercial traffic and open only to local traffic. Evacuation operations are underway across the border in Washington state and Border Services have requested non-local traffic avoid Highway 11.

Highway 99 has reopened, but will close again for avalanche control work at some point this morning.

last night, Wednesday December 10th, the Fraser Valley Region district had issued an evacuation order for a number of properties along Wilson Road in the Chilliwack River Valley and placed others nearby on alert. The City of Abbotsford also placed around 1000 residents on alert, and ordered those within 371 properties to evacuate from Sumas Prairie West.

Environment and Climate Change Canada warned that the weather system was likely to bring between 90 to 130 millimeters of rain to the region in a 24-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday night. River levels have swelled in response to the heavy rains, with the BC River Forecast Centre issuing Flood Watches and Flood Warnings for many regions across the southern parts of the province, with the most serious warnings issued for the Similkameen, Abbotsford and Skagit areas.

Authorities say the heaviest rains have now subsided, but rivers continue to rise due to runoff and snow melt.