US-Canada border towns assess damage from devastating floods

By LISA BAUMANN and ELAINE THOMPSON
Associated Press

SUMAS, Wash. (AP) — People in the small city of Sumas, Washington, are assessing damage from flooding that hit an estimated three quarters of homes in the community near the Canadian border. Parts of Washington state and British Columbia are trying to dry out from an intense, days-long rain storm that cut off key roadways and forced hundreds of evacuations. Skies were sunny Wednesday in the area. Sumas’ mayor said officials were looking to go “door-to-door” to check on people and homes. Immediately across the border residents of a low-lying area of Abbotsford, British Columbia, were being evacuated. British Columbia officials reported one death, said more were expected and declared a state of emergency.