The 2021 Pacific Northwest floods comprise a series of floods that affected British Columbia, Canada, and parts of neighbouring Washington state in the United States. The flooding and numerous mass wasting events were caused by a Pineapple Express, a type of atmospheric river, which brought heavy rain to parts of southern British Columbia and northwestern United States. The natural disaster prompted a state of emergency for the province of British Columbia
Of particular concern in southern British Columbia was the severe short-term and long-term disruption of the transportation corridor linking the coastal city of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, to the Fraser Valley, the rest of British Columbia and the rest of Canada. The Fraser Valley, which is heavily populated, is responsible for most of the agricultural production in the province, with limited ability to feed livestock in the absence of rail service.
The British Columbia Minister of Public Safety, Mike Farnworth, issued a statement that the military deployment ended on December 17 after a month of aid. Conditions had improved enough for the reconstruction be managed by contractors, non-governmental organizations and a dedicated contingent from the region’s wildland fire management service.
On December 10, the Insurance Bureau of Canada announced that the flooding cost at least $CDN 450 million in insured damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in British Columbia’s history. However, this amount did not include damage to infrastructure and other uninsured property. In particular, in the Sumas Prairie of the Abbotsford area, more than 600,000 farm animals perished in the floods. The reinsurer Aon issued a statement on December 17, 2021, claiming that the economic damage would amount to more than $2 billion US.
