Slater Vecchio LLP Has Filed a Class Action Lawsuit Against the City of Abbotsford, the Province of British Columbia, and the Fraser Valley Regional District, for Alleged Failure to Warn of the Flooding That Occurred in British Columbia in November 2021

On November 14, 2021, the Sumas Prairie began flooding due to server rainfall. On November 16, 2021, the Sumas Lake Reclamation dike, which prevents water from flooding the prairie, breached in two locations. The residents of the Sumas Prairie, who allegedly were not adequately warned in time of the impending flood, were helpless as they watched their properties, livestock, and livelihoods wash away.

The class action alleges that the City of Abbotsford, the Province of British Columbia, and the Fraser Valley Regional District had a duty to warn individuals in the Sumas Prairie of the predictable flooding, and failed to adequately do so. The lawsuit claims that if these bodies provided reasonable notice to the individuals in the Sumas Prairie, individuals could have prevented or greatly mitigated the severity of the damage incurred.

In 2015, a report provided to the Province of British Columbia concluded that the vast majority of dikes in the province were not up to standard. In addition, the report found that the Sumas dike’s crest elevation was “unacceptable” and that it would not be able to withstand flowing waters if the Nooksack River overflowed. The class action lawsuit alleges that all three defendants were aware of this report.

The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of two individuals whose farms and properties were destroyed in the flooding. Slater Vecchio LLP is looking to other individuals whose farms, livestock, and properties were damaged due to the November 2021 Sumas Prairie floods. If this includes you, please fill out the contact us page located at: slatervecchio.com/class-action/sumas-flood-class-action.