Mayor Braun said today the breaches in Abbotsfords dike system, one being about 100 meters long, have been filled. But he stressed Abbotsford is not out of danger yet. He also wanted to make very clear there was still a long way to go before things get back to normal.
While crews increased the height and width of "the patch", repairs to weakened sections of the dike were started.
He also said Abbotsford was very lucky the Barrowtown floodgates weren't damaged because if they were the situation would be far far worse.
The Barrowtown floodgates are open. That means water from the Sumas Prairie is draining into the Sumas River and out to the Fraser.
The next challenge is strengthening the dike before the next rain event happens. The next heavy rainfall is expected Tuesday.
The Mayor says if 100mm of rain falls in a 24 hour period it's back to square one. If it falls over 3 or 4 days the damaged system can handle it.
For now, the water has stopped coming across the border from the Nooksack River. If the rainfall hits hard, runoff from Mount Baker will overflow the Nooksack River and flow right back into Abbotsford.
According to the Mayor, receding water is exposing all kinds of debris. Trees powerlines, plastic, everything imaginable litters the Prairie and its roads.
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