Residents of Abbotsford, British Columbia were scared in their stomachs Sunday night as the Nooksack River in Washington state threatened to rise from its bed to flood the town.
Mayor Henry Braun was worried about the possibility, especially since the river broke the dike in Everson on Sunday afternoon, according to the “Vancouver Sun”.
Storm-stricken Abbotsford Municipality forced the evacuation of nearly 90 homes in the Huntington Village area on Sunday morning as it braces for worst-case scenarios.
Sandbags were laid to protect the homes as the city administration worried about the overflow of the Nooksack River.
If Dam Nature seems to give a respite for the day on Monday, the weather conditions are however likely to deteriorate with the arrival of a third atmospheric river for Tuesday and Wednesday, which reinforces the risks of flooding.
The provincial government says it is ready to use its warning system for the first time if the situation requires it.
Several highways have been pre-emptively closed, including Highways 1 and 3 in the Fraser Canyon and Hope, as the Department of Transportation has not yet scheduled an immediate reopening schedule.