An Environment Canada rain warning for Calgary ended Wednesday as the city closely monitors the risk of flooding, although the mayor is asking residents to be aware of river levels.
Although rain warnings were lifted for Calgary and the rest of the province on Wednesday, after two days of storms, wind warnings remained in effect in some areas. In Calgary, Environment Canada reported gusts of up to 94 km / h on Wednesday.
Carol Henke, a public information officer for the Calgary Fire Department, says firefighters were “incredibly busy” with the number of trees and power lines that fell due to gusts of wind in Calgary. He says there were more than 200 calls related to the wind from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning.
He said those figures include more than 70 danger calls between 10:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, more than 50 electrical danger calls and five lightning calls.
However, no injuries were reported.
“I think we are very, very lucky because with the number of trees that have fallen, this has certainly caused some material damage, but this can kill someone in an instant. And we are very grateful that no injuries have been reported as as a result of all these trees down, “he said.
Carol Henke, a public information officer for the Calgary Fire Department, says the department received hundreds of calls related to strong winds. (Dave Gilson / CBC)
Tuesday’s wind and humidity combined with strong gusts could drop the trees, Henke said, and advised the calgars to be careful.
“Be careful when you’re outdoors. Be aware of your surroundings and be careful when driving, especially if you’re driving a high-profile vehicle because that wind can really wreak havoc,” he said.
The city of Calgary is still in a state of local emergency, which was invoked Monday.
“Right now, we’re keeping it in place just to be too cautious and make sure people are protected … most Calgarans know that time can change by a penny,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Calgary Eyeopener.
He also encouraged the people of Calgar to stay informed about what is happening in the city, as river levels remain high.
“What we learned in 2013 is the most important thing we can do as a city is to communicate early and often,” he said.
“Please listen to the radio. Watch TV. Check for updates on the city’s website. Check your social media. We’re trying to spread as much information as we can, and if it will personally affect people on your property, it “Someone from the emergency services will come knocking on your door and tell you what to do.”
The city closed Bowness Park, St. Patrick’s Island Park and Prince’s Island Park from 4 p.m. Tuesday. He also closed Memorial Drive on 10th Street NW and created a berm.
For the past 48 hours, Calgary has received between 70 and 80 mm of rainfall, the city said. (Oseremen Irete / CBC)
The Elbow River has reached its peak, the city said, and is not expected to rise any further. The Bow River is expected to reach its peak on Wednesday afternoon.
The city says water levels will remain high over the next few days and may continue to change with additional weather systems.
While it can be a daunting task after a two-year stay during the pandemic, Gondek encouraged the Calgars to stay home as long as possible, off the river and out of their ways.
“That will happen. But until it happens, we can be sure.”
At a news conference Wednesday, Lisa Jackson, with Alberta Environment and Parks’ environmental emergency management, said no major floods had been reported, although some localized floods had been reported. low level.
According to her, all of Alberta’s major rivers have already reached the peak or will arrive soon, before moving east through the province.
Planned reservoir entrances have declined significantly over the past day, so Jackson says they have no structural or safety concerns about the dam. Dickson Dam spills increased Wednesday morning, so anyone near the Red Deer River may have noticed a change in water flow.
Several provincial parks are experiencing rain closures, including Bow River and Three Sisters camps east of Canmore, off the Trans-Canada Highway.
Some roads are also affected. Drivers are advised to check the 511 closures before exiting the road.
The weather system is expected to reduce 5 to 20 mm more rainfall in central and southern Alberta as it leaves the province on Thursday.
Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert says the city is watching its water bodies very closely, but it seems that water levels may not be as high as originally planned.
The city, about 100 miles west of Calgary, has activated its emergency coordination center and is monitoring flow levels. Krausert says the team has been operating all day and sandbags have been prepared for residents to use.
“Keep calm and appreciate that the rain is decreasing and move away from streams and rivers. They still flow very hard and the margins can become unstable,” he said.
Total amounts of precipitation have varied in the province since Sunday afternoon.
According to Environment Canada, the Kananaskis region recorded the heaviest rainfall, receiving 218 mm as of noon on Wednesday. In comparison, Olds received 86.5 mm, while Banff recorded 42 mm.
Environment Canada also reported a series of readings in Calgary : a total of 62 mm have fallen at the airport, while the Springbank area has received 79 mm.
Environment Canada reported that the strongest winds in the last 72 hours have occurred in areas north of Calgary and in the southeastern tip of the province, with gusts of up to 104 km / h.
“A variety of feelings”
Calgarian Jean Woeller owned a Sunnyside home, which was damaged by the floods of 2013. She now lives in Bowness and is president of the Bowness Responsible Flood Mitigation Society. She says they’ve been busy for a couple of days, sending emails from nervous community residents.
“There’s a wide variety of feelings, and it depends a lot on the experience of the people in 2013, where they live in the community, what kind of level of property mitigation they have,” he said.
“But there is some anxiety, for sure. Anxiety about the possibility of evacuation and if there will be a loss of energy, what may be the triggers of the evacuation. There are still some unknowns. Not much information has been shared in this sense”.
However, he believes that measures taken by both the city and the province have put Calgary in a better position than in 2013.
“And it would be great to hear some lessons learned after this event.”
From 4pm, Environment Canada wind warnings for much of southeast Alberta.