On the Floodplain

Are you ready for a flood?

Many of us remember the atmospheric river of November 2021, when record-breaking rainfall caused floods that changed the lives of countless people in the Fraser Valley.

It was an urgent reminder to Lower Mainland residents: floods are a natural part of living in the region. A river flood can hit in the spring if a big snowpack melts quickly. A coastal flood can hit in the winter if a storm arrives during high tide.

But those future floods are getting more dangerous by the day. Communities are building more homes and infrastructure in the floodplain, the historic areas where floodwaters would flow through when the Fraser River breached its banks. Sea level rise is expected to increase by one metre within the next 80 years with climate change.

In this six-part series, reporters Christopher Cheung and Michelle Gamage tour communities in B.C.’s Lower Mainland and talk to locals, city staff and flood management experts to ask how they’re preparing defenses. These stories were published in the 2022 freshet season, which takes place annually in May and June. It’s the season when the worst floods on written record devastated the region. The province has already warned residents about this year’s "heightened" risk.

Should we be building so close to the water? Are marginalized populations stuck in harm’s way? Is there enough collaboration between governments on this existential challenge? This series offers a snapshot of where communities are at today — and how they can be more resilient when water rushes in.