Agriculture Minister Lana Popham has estimated that 97 percent of laying chickens and 98 percent of the dairy cows in Fraser Valley survived the flood.
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Highway 99 north of Pemberton will remain closed Friday as crews continue clearing a landslide that struck earlier in the week, BC Transport Secretary Rob Fleming said.
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Fleming said that even though the heavy rain has stopped and there are no warnings of floods, there are warnings of wet snow in the flood-affected areas.
He urged people to be careful and keep an eye on weather forecasts.
In an update Friday, the minister also said Highway 12 was closed between Lytton and Lillooet due to a rock slide, but said crews are working to reopen the road as soon as possible.
Both Highway 1 in Fraser Valley and Highway 3 east of Princeton have reopened to traffic, but Fleming said urged drivers to be patient and expect delays.
Whether they reduce fuel consumption or avoid unnecessary travel, Fleming said residents of BC have responded well to helping in “these extraordinary times.”
“Everyone has pulled together for the common good, and it’s been really special to see this happen,” he said.
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Fleming did not yet have a cost estimate for the repair work needed on BC’s highways and bridges following the catastrophic floods and mudslides caused by several atmospheric rivers last month, but said it will be significant.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Lana Popham has estimated that 97 percent of laying chickens and 98 percent of the dairy cows in Fraser Valley survived the flood.
She added that only an estimated two percent of the annual production of turkeys has been lost, but noted that higher prices could be expected for poultry due to transportation problems.
At Friday’s press conference, Popham gave a shout out to several Abbotsford rugby and hockey teams who have helped farmers clean up their stables.
ticrawford@postmedia.com
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