Rapid Damage Assessments were done on homes observed to be impacted by floodwaters to ensure that as Evacuation Orders are lifted, people can return home safely. Homes that did not require assessment did not receive a placard. Homes that did require assessment have a placard to advise them of their results.

The colours of the placards are:

• Green: Re-entry permitted, at your discretion, if the building is not located within an Evacuation Order area.
• Yellow: Access is restricted subject to varying conditions. Further information is provided on the placard.
• Red: Do not enter the building unless authorization has been granted by the appropriate authorities.
  If you received a yellow or a red placard on your building, please refer to the notes on the placard for information on what systems may be damaged and which specialists to contact. 

For more information and the status of your property, call 604-504-4049.

Note: only the outer structure of homes were assessed, not the inside or other buildings on the property, such as sheds or barns. Upon returning home, residents may want to have their home and other structures further assessed with support of their insurer. 

In some cases, it was clear that homes within the Evacuation Order area were not impacted by floodwater. As a result, these homes were not assessed further and a placard was not placed on the home.  

If you do not have a placard on your house and your house is not located within an Evacuation Order area, you are permitted to re-enter, at your discretion.  

The Province of BC’s Flood Preparedness Guide offers the following tips for returning home after a flood:

• Do not return home until authorities say it is safe and they have cleared your home of structural, electrical, or other hazards.
• Stay out of any buildings if floodwaters remain around or in the building.
• Do not enter a building if you see buckled walls or floors.
• Check for any damage to electrical or gas equipment that may have been caused by floodwater. Don’t turn anything back on until the equipment has been inspected by a licensed gas or electrical contractor. Find one using Technical Safety BC’s find a licensed contractor tool.
• If water needs to be drained, do so slowly addressing about 1/3 of the water per day. This ensures the structure of your home won’t buckle.
• Do not heat your home above the temperature outside until all water has been removed.

For more information and safety tips to re-enter your home, see Fraser Health’s Floodwatch Tips – Information for Homeowners.
 

Contact 9-1-1 immediately.

The following is a preliminary list of potential contaminants. This list is not exhaustive and other contaminants may be present.

• Gasoline
• Diesel, heating oil, and waste oils
• Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• Fertilizers and pesticides
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Asbestos (view BCCDC information on Asbestos)
• Biological Hazards
• Mould / mildew (view Province of BC’s tips for managing mould)
   

Once Evacuation Orders have been lifted, and your property is deemed safe, cleaning should start as soon as possible to avoid further damages. Before you start, call your insurance provided to see if they offer cleaning services and to verify if damage caused by flooding is covered by your policy.

Remember to keep all the receipts of your cleaning costs, as you may be eligible to get some money back through your home insurance or provincial Disaster Financial Assistance.(Disaster Financial Assistance is pending until the Province of BC confirms eligibility.)

 See the HealthLinkBC Guide, for helpful instructions on cleaning up your home after a flood and the garbage removal section below for special curbside collection.

Special Curbside Collection

• Curbside collection of flood-damaged items and debris in the former Evacuation Order area will be provided this weekend (Dec. 20 and 21) with the potential of additional curbside collection dates if needed. View Map of Eligible Properties
• Loose materials must be bagged, and all items must be non-hazardous. View the list of eligible items. Drywall from 1990 or later can be included in the collected material so long as it is bagged. Drywall from pre-1990 may contain asbestos and must be handled as hazardous material.
• Items must be placed at the curb by 7 am Saturday, Dec. 20 to ensure they are picked up in this cycle. 
• Hazardous materials will be collected at a later date.
• Contact 604-864-5640 for more information.

Roll-Off Bin Request

• Large roll-off bins are available for impacted properties in the former Evacuation Order area requiring the removal of large amounts of debris. Bins can be requested by impacted properties owners by emailing floodrecovery@abbotsford.ca.
• View the list of eligible items. Drywall from 1990 or later can be included in the collected material. Drywall from pre-1990 may contain asbestos and must be handled as hazardous material. 
• Contact 604-864-5640 for more information.

Eligible Properties

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The Ministry of Agriculture and Food understands that livestock producers may have mortalities on their farms when returning home. 

For support with any livestock mortalities:

• Commercial farms should contact their industry association.
• Non-commercial and other farms should contact the AgriServiceBC phone line 1-888-221-7141 

The Ministry’s priority is supporting those directly impacted and routine calls to AgriServiceBC may have delayed response times.  

• Health and wellness in the agriculture industry - Province of British Columbia
• AgSafe Mental Wellness

• For insurance purposes, it is very important that you document everything you can from the event. List and photograph all damaged or destroyed items.
• If possible, assemble proofs of purchase, photos, receipts, and warranties.
• Take photos of the damage.
• Keep all receipts related to clean up and living expenses if you’ve been displaced.
• Ask your insurance representative about what expenses you may be entitled to and for how long. 

For more information on insurance, contact your insurance provider or broker directly or contact the Insurance Bureau of Canada at 1-844-227-5422 or 1-844-2ask-IBC.
 

If you don’t have insurance, you may still be eligible for help with recovery. View information on the eligibility for Disaster Financial Assistance from the Province of BC.  (Disaster Financial Assistance is pending until the Province of BC confirms eligibility.)
 

The Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund is a partnership with the Abbotsford Community Foundation, Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and the University of the Fraser Valley and was created to help meet the critical needs of flood impacted community members and assist with recovery and rebuilding efforts where possible.

Disaster Relief Fund

For information on whether you need a building permit and how to go about getting one, please call 604-504-4049.

Work related to electrical and gas are not regulated by the City, please visit technicalsafetybc.ca for electrical and gas permitting information.

To reconnect your power after a flood, follow these steps outlined by BC Hydro:

1. Contact a qualified electrical contractor to inspect your electrical equipment and appliances. Visit technicalsafetybc.ca to find a qualified electrical contractor in your area.
2. The contractor will conduct a safety assessment of your property and apply for a permit from Technical Safety BC. In some cases, if emergency repairs are required, these may be conducted prior to a permit being issued. View Technical Safety BC's emergency repairs bulletin or call Technical Safety BC at 1 866 566 7233 for more details.
3. Your contractor will advise BC Hydro when it’s safe for your power to be reconnected.
4. BC Hydro will arrange to have a crew reconnect your power within 24 hours. This is dependent on crews being able to safely access the area. 

To restore service, FortisBC offers the following tips:

1. Flood water may have shifted your home or caused stresses to the gas piping and electrical wiring. For your safety, have a licensed gas contractor inspect your piping and appliances for damage – don’t try to repair or relight them yourself.
2. If water levels were high enough to cover your gas meter or it was necessary to turn off your natural gas due to flooding, a FortisBC technician will need to inspect the meter and regulator before turning the gas back on and relighting any appliances. For relights, call 1-877-711-8877.
3. Wet electrical wiring is very dangerous. Any loose wires should be treated as live, and avoided. Have any wiring that has been partially or fully covered by flood water checked by a licensed electrician or electrical contractor.
4. If you still see water in your building, do not attempt to shut off the main power switch. Avoid any electrical lines or basements and other low-lying structures where electricity and water be present.

Click or call before you dig

•  Flood waters can shift the surface of the earth and either expose or reduce the amount of dirt covering natural gas lines. If you discover an exposed gas line, don’t try to repair it. Call the FortisBC Emergency Line immediately at 1-800-663-9911 (24 hours).
• If you’re removing debris or digging for any reason during or after a flood, click or call BC 1 Call first at 1-800-474-6886 to find out where gas lines and buried utilities are.
• Let the agent know you have been impacted by a flood and FortisBC will prioritize your request and email your natural gas line location information immediately.
• If you do not have access to email, let BC 1 Call know and they will ensure FortisBC calls you to provide natural gas line location information over the phone.

Smell gas?

If you smell rotten eggs or sulphur or hear the sound of escaping gas, don’t enter the building. Go outside and call the FortisBC Emergency Line at 1-800-663-9911 (24 hours) or 9-1-1.

For more information, view the FortisBC Flood Preparedness Fact Sheet.

• Flooding can seriously affect your septic system by undermining the soil that supports it.
• Residents should have their septic systems assessed by a qualified professional to determine if any remedial work is required prior to use.
• After the evacuation orders are lifted and your home is deemed safe, consult with your local public health inspector and an authorized person in septic system construction and maintenance for advice on your septic system. 
• Contact a registered onsite wastewater practitioner in your area.
   

Clean up Kits 

Clean up kits (which include heavy duty garbage bags, gloves, masks, sponges, disinfectants/cleaners, and other cleaning supplies) can be picked up at Salvation Army/Cascade Community Church at 35190 Delair Rd. Tues-Fri from 10am-3pm at the reception desk.

“Mud-out” Assistance

Volunteers are available to help with “mud-out” clean up though the MCC and local churches.  Please email floodrecovery@abbotsford.ca if you have a need like this to be connected with one of the local groups to support you.

United Way –  211 

211 by United Way BC is a free, confidential service that connects people to helpful and vital resources in their community (non-emergency community programs and social services). Interpretation is available in over 240 languages. 

Call or Text 2-1-1. 
For Live Chat, Email or Self-serve search visit https://bc.211.ca/

• First Nations Health Authority 1-866-913-0033
• First Nations Emergency Services Society 1-888-388-4431
   

Archway Food Bank provides food for those affected by the floods and experiencing food insecurity. The food bank is located at Archway Community Services at 33914 Essendene Ave. 

For furniture and household items please visit or call MCC Thrift Shop (604-854-2062) and inform them your property was impacted by this recent flood event. Please be prepared to provide your address

Archway Community Services

• Short-Term Counselling Program 
• For youth 12-24 years old:  Archway Foundry Mental Health Support  or connect directly: 604-746-3392 or info@foundryabbotsford.ca
• Fraser Health Mental Health Services or call the crisis line (if in crisis only) 1-877-820-7444
  AgSafe Counselling - Counsellors | AgSafe BC

Fraser Health will be offering private well water testing on a temporary basis to individuals who have had their well affected by flood water by contacting us at HPland@fraserhealth.ca.