(Newswire.net — June 21, 2013) Calgary, AB — Flood water continues to rise in Calgary and surrounding area. The devastation of the flash flood is widespread throughout the city and surrounding towns and area such as Canmore, High River, Sundre, Banff, Black Diamond and Turner Valley. This is the most devastating flood to date.
To date it appears High River has suffered the most devastating effects of the flooding with a Critical Alert warning of a flash flood issued June 20 residents were asked to evacuate immediately and move to high ground.
As rain continued on into Friday it is mixed with melting snow from the mountains causing the flooding and continues to worsen. Most of the Calgary Stampede grounds are submerged with water. It was stated muddy water rose to row 14 on the Saddledome. Along with many communities within Calgary, officials ordered an evacuation for Calgary’s entire downtown core. It is estimated that some 75,000 Calgary residents have been evacuated to higher ground.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford at a press conference Friday addressed the state of emergency by thanking first responders for ensuring people’s safety. Ms. Redford encouraged people to follow the public safety orders of the municipalities and law enforcement. Thanking over 100 police officers for coming from Edmonton to help with safety measures as well as Canadian Forces. She assured Albertans that everything that could be done to ensure their safety would be done. Premier Redford said, “Listening to the roar of the river was terrifying.” She also stated it was important for her to see firsthand the impact on the ground.
Premiere Redford also mentioned the government would be with the communities for the long haul helping them to rebuild. Ms. Redford compared one statistic from flood of 2005 where the Elbow River was running at 250 cubic feet per minute and last night it was 800. That certainly gives one an idea of how much more severe this flood is. Stating, “We are certainly dealing with something very different than we dealt with in 2005.”
Premiere Redford warned that the outcome of the flooding is still yet to be assessed as communities downstream feel its affects. In the press conference she mentioned that she spoke to the Mayor of Medicine Hat this morning and he said they are ready for what is coming but they expect it to be equivalent to 2005. Ms. Redford mentioned that while many lessons have been learned from the 2005 flooding it is too early to say what it will mean at the end of the day. She concluded by saying that this is very significant in spite of the lessons learned in 2005.
There are a number of road closures in Calgary due to flooding conditions. CBC has put together a collection of Maps, Road Closures, Videos and Pictures of the flooding.
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Sources
http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-calgary-floods/
http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/alerts/2013/06/1748.html
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