‘High impact’ warning as heavy rain returns, causing more flooding concerns in B.C.

By Canadian Press on December 15, 2025.

ABBOTSFORD — Overflowing waters from the Nooksack River in Washington state have stopped flowing across the border into British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.

The City of Abbotsford says U.S. forecasts project the river will not reach flood stage in the next few days following a series of atmospheric rivers washing southern B.C. and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The B.C. government says heavy rain may cause more flooding in low-lying areas, with parts of Metro Vancouver under a new flood warning.

The River Forecast Centre has upgraded rivers and streams coming off the North Shore mountains to flood warnings, with the Seymour River reaching a 50-year high Monday, and it’s still rising.

Highway 1 through Abbotsford is expected to fully reopen Monday, while a stretch of Highway 99 from Pemberton to Lillooet and Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon from Hope to Lytton remain closed because of a risk of flooding and washouts.

The latest storm brought strong winds, and BC Hydro reported earlier Monday that 24,000 customers on the south coast were without power before most service was restored, although the City of Abbotsford says much of Sumas Prairie remains without electricity.

The River Forecast Centre says the Sumas and Chilliwack Rivers through the Fraser Valley remain under flood warnings as Environment Canada says a “high impact” system over the Fraser Valley will bring another 40 to 60 millimetres of rain.

The latest forecast is expected to be less intense than downpours last week that triggered widespread flooding in Abbotsford.

The city’s mayor and fire chief say they’re pleased Highway 1 was partially reopened in both directions over the weekend, but dozens of properties are still under evacuation order with hundreds more still on alert after the flooding across the Sumas Prairie.

The province says the potential for flood from the latest system is tough to predict, and some highways may have to be closed on short notice, including the Coquihalla from Hope to Merritt.

Officials say heavy rain will also affect Vancouver Island, which could cause flooding of slides on major routes, including Highway 4 and Bamfield Road, where a wildfire burned the hillside above the road this summer.

Environment Canada has issued a slew of rainfall warnings across B.C., including for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Skagit Valley, Howe Sound and most of Vancouver Island, with some regions expected to see up to 80 millimetres of rain in higher elevations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2025.

The Canadian Press