Calgary flooding forces evacuations, 100,000 may be affected

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/calgary-flooding-forces-evacuations-100k-may-affected-003757250.html ^ | June 20, 2013 | CBC News via Yahoo

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

The City of Calgary has issued mandatory evacuation orders for 14 communities after massive flooding in the city and across southern Alberta. The city says up to 100,000 people could be affected by evacuations.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

UPDATE: The City of Calgary has asked anyone who works downtown, not to come to work, unless absolutely neccessary, due to closures and flooding, etc.

I am temporarily working for a contractor friend, helping to install water and gas lines in a new restaurant downtown. It is imperative that the work be completed ASAP, as the owner wants it open a week before the Calgary Stampede begins the evening of July 4th. It is just outside of the evacuation area and he was able to get downtown by travelling about 3 extra miles to the north-west of the core. We cannot do anything today as water, gas and electrical are shut down.

Apparently, the Elbow River crested about 4:00 AM, but there may be another crest. The Bow is expected to crest this afternoon but again, as rain continues in the mountains, there may be additional crests. I do not have details on other rivers effecting Red Deer and Lethbridge.

As far as I know, no bridges have been washed away in Alberta, but there are concerns for the structural integrity of many, including bridges in High River. High River took the brunt of the flooding of the Sheep River yesterday.

[Squawk 8888]

To all- please ping me to Canadian topics.

Canada Ping!

[fanfan]

How does one prepare for floods?

[canuck_conservative]

No, fortunately I’m on one of the “upland” areas.

But I went down to see the Bow River today, and it is fully raging - the downtown area is now evacuated and under water.

[Alberta's Child]

Heavy rain in the mountains west of Calgary, coupled with the normal spring snowmelt in the higher elevations. This is very similar to the story that played out in British Columbia within the last two years.

A close friend of mine in Calgary was ordered to vacate his home with his family. The story there is that the city is shutting off all the utilities in that part of Calgary because they're right at the point where many of the drainage outlets flow into the river. They're worried about storm water and sanitary sewers backing up into the entire neighborhood.

[Kartographer]

For one thing there are flood maps available, so when you go to buy your home don’t buy a home in the flood plain.

[expat1000]

That’s a real tragedy, but I guess the price of being so close to the Rockies.

[Squawk 8888]

After hurricane Hazel hit Toronto, some flood control infrastructure was put in place but the most important measure they took was turn most of the flood plains here into parkland.

[Alberta's Child]

It’s highly unusual in that area. It’s not so much the proximity to the mountains as it is the shallow river beds. The Bow River, for example, flows out of the mountains and across the foothills as a swift-running river. Further downstream some of these rivers have carved out valleys with deep embankments, but it’s rare for the river to flow more than a few feet deep even during the heaviest rainfall and snowmelt seasons.