Busy border crossing closed due to major West Coast flooding

Officials temporarily closed the Sumas border crossing near Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Thursday due to ongoing floods in the region.

Highway cameras in Sumas, Washington, showed widespread flooding near the usually busy border crossing.

The development is the latest in a series of high-profile road closures throughout southwestern B.C. and Washington after a powerful atmospheric river washed over the region this week.

DON'T MISS: B.C. braces for more rain with flood warnings, evacuations

B.C. road closures, Washington rivers at historic crests

Heavy rains fell in B.C. and Washington this week as a potent atmospheric river affected the West Coast.

Most of southwestern B.C. has received 50-100 mm of precipitation this week, with some communities notching triple-digit rainfall totals from the event.

Significantly higher totals unfolded south of the border, where totals of 200-300+ mm have fallen across the Cascade Range so far this week.

The surge of heavy precipitation led to widespread flooding throughout southwestern B.C. and western Washington. Numerous road closures and evacuations are in effect as a result of rising rivers throughout the region.

Several rivers in Washington have reached, or are forecast to reach, all-time record crests on Thursday and Friday as the runoff swells waterways far beyond their banks.

At least four gauges on the Snohomish, Cedar, and Skagit Rivers will end the week having beaten their all-time record crests, with the Skagit River at Mt. Vernon set to surpass its previous record by more than half of a metre.

Residents of both B.C. and Washington won’t get much breathing room as flood waters recede before another atmospheric river arrives late this weekend into early next week, with 50-100 mm of additional precipitation in the forecast over the next five days.

Header image created using graphics from NOAA and Canva.

WATCH: Record flooding forces evacuations across Washington

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