Floods ravage southern Alberta
CALGARY and CANMORE, Alta. — Heavy rains caused flooding and forced evacuations across southern Alberta Thursday.
From Canmore to the Crowsnest Pass, rainwater washed out roads, forced people from their homes and caused the closure of major highways.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued Thursday afternoon for six Calgary communities — Mission, Elbow Park, Stanley Park, Roxboro, Rideau and Discovery Ridge.
Residents are being encouraged to stay with family and friends for at least the next 72 hours and reception centres are being set up for those who can’t. An Animal Service Centre has been set up for area pets.
Emergency crews will be going door-to-door to ensure everyone is out and residents won’t be allowed into the communities after 3 p.m.
The raging waters of Cougar Creek in Canmore, west of Calgary, forced town and fire officials to ask residents in a dozen homes to leave their property early Thursday.
The Trans-Canada Highway just east of the community and Highway 1A were closed and the flooded creek also took out between 10-15 metres of CP rail line that crosses the stream as it makes its way to the Bow River.
Fire officials were also monitoring a pedestrian bridge and a roadway that cross Cougar Creek.
At 4 a.m., fire-rescue lieutenant Rob Evans-Davies was worried the pedestrian bridge could get swept into the creek.
“If that goes, then all the these houses could be swept away,” said fire-rescue Lt. Rob EvansDavies.
Longtime Canmore resident Bill Warren was one of the residents asked to leave his home under a voluntary evacuation order. He has lived along the Cougar Creek causeway for more than 20 years.
“I have seen it bad before, but this is the worst it has ever been,” he said.
More than 20 metres of creek bank had eroded on the west side of Cougar Creek, just outside his back door.
Rains have caused localized flooding across southern Alberta, including in the Banff and Kananaskis areas, as well as Black Diamond.
Some residents in Black Diamond have been asked to evacuate to Oilfields Regional Arena.
Turner Valley and High River have also declared states of emergency. Residents in the Wallaceville area of High River have been asked to leave their homes.
In the Crowsnest Pass area, downtown Blairmore was flooded, schools were closed and buses cancelled and officials were considering closing Highway 3.
Some residents in Coleman — in areas near Crowsnest River, Gold Creek, Lynx Creek and York Creek — had to leave their homes.