Parts of Alberta prepare for flooding

CALGARY (CP) — Preparations for potential flooding were underway in Calgary and surrounding communities Tuesday as rainfall warnings continued and rivers swelled across southern Alberta.

Environment Canada said to expect rainfall totals of between 75 millimetres and 125 millimetres by this morning in parts of the province. The heaviest rainfall was predicted for the western region -150 millimetres or more along the foothills and eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Some areas of Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary, had already received about 130 millimetres by Tuesday morning, said University of Saskatchewan hydrologist John Pomeroy, who has monitoring stations throughout the Rockies.

“They’ve got a lot more to come,” he said.

Pomeroy said that included headwaters of the Elbow, Highwood and

Sheep rivers with higher stream flows coming.

However, Alberta Environment downgraded flood watches on the Highwood River upstream of High River, Alta., and the Bow and Elbow rivers upstream of Calgary to high stream flow advisories.

Both communities were hit hard during flooding in 2013, which left at least five people dead and caused billions of dollars in damage across southern Alberta.

High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass said the town was keeping a close eye on the Highwood River.

"We are a long way away from anything that 2013 looked like," he said Monday.

Calgary issued an advisory for the Elbow and Bow rivers earlier this week and water levels were lowered in upstream reservoirs to make room for potential floodwater.

The city also declared a state of local emergency Monday.