December flooding caused $74M in damage in the Fraser Valley

The severe flooding caused by December's atmospheric river brought evacuations, power outages, and plenty of damage to homes and farms in the Fraser Valley. 

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the insured damage cost a staggering $74 million—the largest sum in BC, which saw $90 million in flood-related damages provincewide in December.

"Coming just four years after the devastating 2021 floods, this most recent flood damage is a painful reminder of the need to build BC's resilience and better protect communities from the new weather reality we face," said Aaron Sutherland, vice president of Pacific and West for IBC. 

In the years following the 2021 atmospheric river, BC released a 10-year flood strategy to better prepare for similar disasters in the future—but it came with no cost estimation or timeline on its actions.

In September, Metro Vancouver municipalities were told there was no new funding for the strategy, as BC’s deficit hit $11.6 billion. While the province says it’s given $27 million in flood-mitigation funding this year, municipalities say billions of dollars are needed. 

Federal support has also been lacking—Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens called out Ottawa’s inaction in December, saying the feds had previously rebuffed proposals from Fraser Valley municipalities to develop a flood mitigation plan and had not reached during the most recent flooding event. 

“We have done everything—including almost standing on our heads—to be noticed and to be heard,” Siemens said. “This is a foundational issue to our economy, our food security.”

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) said in a release that local governments are struggling with the strain on their emergency management and public works budget as flooding disasters arise.

“Federal and provincial support is desperately needed to ‘build back better’ and mitigate the damage and costs that might come from future events,” said the UBCM.

IBC is now calling on the province to prioritize funding its flooding strategy, with a focus on flood risk mapping, protective infrastructure, and incentives for people and businesses to flood-proof their properties.

"Investing in community resilience and damage prevention is always more cost-effective than paying to rebuild year after year following every disaster," added Sutherland.