Sumas business owners question how long they can keep rebuilding after the fifth major flood in 35 years. Some fear the town will become just a border crossing.

SUMAS, Wash. — Three weeks after historic floods swept through Whatcom County, some residents and business owners are still trying to rebuild. 

Continued flooding along the Nooksack River, and the inability to stop it, have some questioning their futures and the future of their town.

Andrea Pianki is in her 21st year tending bar at Bob’s Burgers and Brew in Sumas. This is her third major flood.

“It’s devastating because it does cripple the town,” Pianki said.

The latest disaster came two weeks before Christmas, leaving Pianki without paychecks to buy presents for her two daughters. On Dec. 18, she volunteered her time cleaning up the restaurant, hoping to get it reopened as quickly as possible.

“For a flood to happen again, I feel like it’s defeating,” she said.

This is the fifth major flood on the property in 35 years, and as businesses continue to rebuild, there are concerns about how much they can continue to persevere.

“If it keeps happening, we’ll just be a border crossing. It won’t be worth it to have a business here,” said Tobyn Cochrane, who owns the restaurant situated along the Canadian border.

Cochrane said since even worse floods in 2021, people have left town and not come back.

“You know, if we have to do this every five years, when do you put a checkmark saying this is enough is enough?” he said.

“They definitely impact us in the long run because homes sit empty for a while and people are afraid to buy because they see it on the news,” Pianki said.

The flood-prone Nooksack River is the constant culprit, but no one seems able to stop it.

“You know, I’ve heard so many different avenues, but they need to choose one and move forward. Just do something,” Cochrane said.

Meanwhile, work continues to repair Bob’s main dining room, the bulk of the burger bar’s business. Completion is likely about two more weeks away.

Cochrane said he couldn’t afford to pay for flood insurance, but has now purchased a policy.

An online fundraiser has been organized to help with the $30,000 to $40,000 of equipment losses sustained.

As Pianki prepares for customers on New Year’s Eve, entering her 22nd year at Bob’s, she’s hoping there will be many more to come.

“We just keep going day by day, hoping people keep supporting us,” she said.