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Flooding prompts Highway 1 closure between Abbotsford and Hope until further notice

A record-breaking rainfall has prompted a local state of emergency to be declared in Abbotsford. Grace Ke has more on a big jump in the number of people being evacuated. – Nov 15, 2021

Continued flooding and subsequent road debris is forcing the province to close Highway 1 between Abbotsford and Hope.

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Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the highway will be shut in both directions with no timeline for when it will reopen.

“Work is underway to determine the nature of damage or blockage,” Farnworth said.

“It may be as simple as removing debris and ensuring the road is safe. It may be, in other areas, that there needs to be additional work done.”

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A tweet from Abbotsford police sent Monday confirms floods have breached the highway, and Abbotsford will be closed to travellers attempting to reach the eastern Fraser Valley. There are no detours or backroads available, it said, as Sumas Prairie is under an evacuation order.

The province has reported various mudslides and severe flooding in areas across the province, including in Agassiz and Lillooet where hundreds of vehicles have been trapped.

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Twenty Emergency Support Service centres are open to help.

The Coquihalla Highway continues to be closed, with still no estimation on when it will reopen.

More than 230 mm of rain has fallen in the last 48 hours along that corridor, and Environment Canada is reporting the rain will turn to snow, causing additional problems.

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