Unprecedented flooding hits Calgary and Southern Alberta

As many as 100,000 Calgarians have been forced out of their homes because of severe flooding along the Bow and Elbow rivers.

Mandatory evacuations remain in place for portions of several communities in Calgary. Click here for a full list. The downtown core between 9 Avenue and the river from Macdonald Bridge to 14 Street W is now closed. There will be local traffic allowed only.

The mayor says the Bow River looks like an ocean and could see another surge. Business in the core may not be able to return until mid-next week, and it will take a few days before anyone along the Elbow can be repatriated.

Prime Minster Stephen Harper is now in Calgary to tour the flood damage.

Premier Alison Redford has already been out surveying the high water. She says her heart goes out to everyone affected. She says it will likely be a few days before the full extent of the damage is apparent. “We don’t yet know the full scale of what’s happened, it’s evolving as we go. There are communities downstream of Calgary that have not felt the full force of these floods.”

The quality of drinking water remains very high. The City is asking residents to limit water use, wherever possible in order to reduce their demand on drinking water treatment plants.

The very high river flows have resulted in high levels of silt and debris in the water coming into The City’s drinking water treatment plants. This silt is starting to slow down the treatment process, creating a growing load on the filtration processes. As a result, it is taking longer to treat the incoming water with presents a challenge to meet water demand.

The drinking water quality remains very high, and any help that Calgarians can provide by reducing the amount of water to be treated will help ensure that this quality can be met going forward.

The City asks that Calgarians limit water use as much as possible by following a few simple steps:

  • Limit showers to five minutes and keep baths shallow
  • Use washing machines and dishwashers only when absolutely necessary and only with full loads
  • Turn off taps when brushing teeth or shaving
  • Reduce toilet flushing

Power and gas have been shut off to the communities ordered evacuated. Enmax is working in conjunction with the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) to restore power to affected areas when it is safe to do so.

A number of reception centres for evacuees have been set up at:

  • Acadia Recreation Complex, 240 90 Ave. SE
  • Village Square Leisure Centre, 2623 56 St. NE
  • South Fish Creek Recreation Complex, 100 333 Shawville Blvd. SE
  • Central Memorial High School, 5111 21 St. SW
  • William Aberhart High School, 3009 Morley Tr. NW
  • St. Francis High School, 877 Northmount Dr. NW
  • Southland Leisure Centre, 2000 Southland Dr. SW
  • Centre Street Church, 3900 2 St. NE. This is a registration facility only, no overnight accommodation is provided at this facility.

The Canadian Red Cross has established a phone number to assist Calgarians with connecting to family members who have been displaced.  Contact the Red Cross at: 1-866-696-6484.

At this time, the bridges remain stable as they’ve been built on bedrock. The City has a high degree of confidence in the structural integrity of city bridges. Once the waters recede all city bridges will undergo a comprehensive engineering evaluation.

Schools were closed in the city today.

One of the worst areas of flooding is the Stampede grounds and the Saddledome, where water is up to the 10th row.

Staff at the Calgary Zoo have moved as many animals as possible to secure locations within the zoo. Two zebras have been moved to the zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Centre south of the city. All other animals remain at the zoo as of noon on Friday.

The Calgary Zoo will be closed for at least Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Outside Calgary, officials say two bodies have been recovered from floodwaters. Two men had been seen floating lifeless in the Highwood River near High River on Thursday.

RCMP also say a woman who was reported missing after she was swept away with her camper into the Highwood River in the Longview area has not been found.

some welcome news from Okotoks, where the evacuation notice has been lifted for all affected areas.

The Sheep River peaked late Thursday night.

The flood alert has also been cancelled in Cochrane.

The situation is still very dire in the community of High River where the whole town was ordered evacuated.

Yesterday, close to 150 people were stranded when the Highwood River rushed through streets, overflowing much faster than anyone anticipated.

The town called in both ground and air support from the military.

Alberta’s Municipal Affairs minister, Doug Griffiths says residents had virtually no warning before being hit with a wall of water.

Griffiths says work will begin immediately to help communities recover from the devastation. Crews are trying to restore water, sewer and power.

Bragg Creek is under a mandatory evacuation. An evacuation centre is set up at Springbank Park for All Seasons.

The town of Black Diamond is experiencing localized flooding. Hwy 22 is closed near the bridge on the west side. Evacuees can go to the reception centre at Oilfields Arena. The water treatment plant was shut down due to flood & safety concerns. Everyone is asked to conserve water. Potable water is being trucked to the reservoir to try to ensure a continued supply of safe drinking water.

In Turner Valley a local state of emergency has been declared. Mandatory evacuation of specific areas has been completed all others are directed to avoid high water areas.  People also had a double threat there because of a ruptured sour gas line, caused by the flooding, but the flow of the dangerous gas has been shut off.

The Fish Creek near Priddis is under a flood warning.  The Stoney Reserve and Siksika Reserve have both been evacuated.

The Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 issued a Flash Flood Alert this morning telling people in low lying areas to evacuate.

Vulcan county has issued a High Water Alert telling people in the Little Bow and Bow basins to get out.

Parts of Sundre were evacuated yesterday as the Red Deer and Little Red Deer rivers swelled quickly, because of the massive rainfall in the foothills.

In the Red Deer River basin, the flood warning remains in effect for the Red Deer River upstream of Gleniffer Reservoir including the town of Sundre, Little Red Deer River and the Red Deer River downstream of Gleniffer Reservoir, including the cities of Red Deer and Drumheller.

The city of Medicine Hat has begun delivering mandatory evacuation notices in low-lying areas that may be hit by flooding. The city says officials there are going door to door to inform residents they must get out. The South Saskatchewan River is expected to crest on Saturday. A reception centre and volunteer co-ordination point have been established at Medicine Hat College.

For the latest provincial alerts click here.

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