November 2021 Forecasts and Discussions

[Typeing3]

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Insane to see it still rising. Any word on when water levels are expected to crest?

[HarrisonSasquatchWx]

I'm safely home in the island of Chilliwack, luckily l'm off work.

[HughCorne]

Oh my god Barrowtown pump failure is imminent, this is the worst case scenario https://twitter.com/ty_olsen/status/146 ... 98082?s=21

[East Chilliwack]

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We spent the day hauling cattle out of the sumas prairie, it was already very scary with water rising quickly, we did what we could until police told us there was no more going in. This is going to be a huge catastrophe, with hundreds of thousands of dead animals. The Fraser is actually going to invade the flats because the pumps are down.

[Weather101]

Oh my god Barrowtown pump failure is imminent, this is the worst case scenario https://twitter.com/ty_olsen/status/146 ... 98082?s=21

Is anyone worried about disease in the water ? From the dead animals and mold growing ?

[Weather101]

We spent the day hauling cattle out of the sumas prairie, it was already very scary with water rising quickly, we did what we could until police told us there was no more going in. This is going to be a huge catastrophe, with hundreds of thousands of dead animals. The Fraser is actually going to invade the flats because the pumps are down.

This is so sad.. wow

[Typeing3]

Oh my god Barrowtown pump failure is imminent, this is the worst case scenario https://twitter.com/ty_olsen/status/146 ... 98082?s=21

So sumas lake really is back. At least temporarily. Just like Nov 1990 all over again. Though the flooding with this storm looks to be even worse.

[wetcoast91]

About 12 years ago, I took a trip to the Barrowtown Pump Station. It was mentioned that 2 pumps are required to keep water OUT of the Sumas canal during a freshet. The issue is we have a lake on the Sumas prairie and we are running all 4 1200hp pumps to their absolute maximum right now. These of course will fail in due time as they are not designed to handle flooding of this magnitude! We are fortunate they performed electrical upgrades of the facility in 2012 or else they would have failed earlier.

Abbotsford is screwed for a while if these pumps fail.

[Weather101]

Wanted money in 2013 to upgrade the system …….

10 years later not upgraded and this happens.

[Radar]

Confirmed. Pumps have all failed. Water expected to be up to 10’ deep in areas. It’s already up to 5’. Water main broken and the whole prairie is having water shut off.

About 12 years ago, I took a trip to the Barrowtown Pump Station. It was mentioned that 2 pumps are required to keep water OUT of the Sumas canal during a freshet. The issue is we have a lake on the Sumas prairie and we are running all 4 1200hp pumps to their absolute maximum right now. These of course will fail in due time as they are not designed to handle flooding of this magnitude! We are fortunate they performed electrical upgrades of the facility in 2012 or else they would have failed earlier.

Abbotsford is screwed for a while if these pumps fail.

[HarrisonSasquatchWx]

About 12 years ago, I took a trip to the Barrowtown Pump Station. It was mentioned that 2 pumps are required to keep water OUT of the Sumas canal during a freshet. The issue is we have a lake on the Sumas prairie and we are running all 4 1200hp pumps to their absolute maximum right now. These of course will fail in due time as they are not designed to handle flooding of this magnitude! We are fortunate they performed electrical upgrades of the facility in 2012 or else they would have failed earlier.

Abbotsford is screwed for a while if these pumps fail.

So my question is how long before water levels recede so they can get in there to repair these pumps once they fail.
I'm assuming once there running again they can drain the prairie quicker.

[wetcoast91]

Wanted money in 2013 to upgrade the system …….

10 years later not upgraded and this happens.

Which begs the question, is it more cost effective to restore Sumas Lake than operate pumps which are prone to failures and cost nearly 750k a year to operate? This would require a reroute of Highway #1 further along the hills but could prevent Highway #1 from being inoperable as it is right now.

[Weather101]

Which begs the question, is it more cost effective to restore Sumas Lake than operate pumps which are prone to failures and cost nearly 750k a year to operate? This would require a reroute of Highway #1 further along the hills but could prevent Highway #1 from being inoperable as it is right now.

That is a very good question. I honestly don’t know what would be better. I’m just in shock how all this has happened in 48 hours. They won’t reroute the highway I feel tho. I just don’t see that in the plans.

[wetcoast91]

So my question is how long before water levels recede so they can get in there to repair these pumps once they fail.

For starters, we will probably need a few dry weeks, which is not looking likely. This lake will not recede without being pumped out.

Godspeed Abbotsford. This is going to be a very difficult few weeks.

That is a very good question. I honestly don’t know what would be better. I’m just in shock how all this has happened in 48 hours. They won’t reroute the highway I feel tho. I just don’t see that in the plans.

Constructing the only roadway between Abbotsford and Chilliwack under river level in a floodplain is just completely idiotic.

[Roberts Creeker]

I'm safely home in the island of Chilliwack, luckily l'm off work.

Enjoy the Island life. I saw a spare barge floating around English Bay they could use as a ferry.