4 feared dead from Alberta floods

[Posteritatis]

Source: CBC News

Four people may have died during Alberta's worst flooding in decades, according to the RCMP.

As Albertans faced more rain Friday, the downpour has left hundreds of homes semi-submerged, lifted railroad tracks and inundated the Calgary Stampede grounds.

At least 100,000 Albertans, including about 75,000 Calgarians, have been forced out of their homes and large areas of Calgary's downtown core were set to be evacuated Thursday afternoon.

. . .

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is urging Calgarians to stay away from the downtown core, where about 350,000 people typically work. Only a small fraction of them were at work Friday, as employees were asked to take a family day and offices were closed ahead of the expected flooding.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2013/06/21/alberta-flooding-calgary-canmore-high-water.html

[okaawhatever]

1. Praying for my Northern friends. nt

[u4ic]

2. More images

http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/before-after/alberta-floods/?cmp=fbtl

The latter is Trans Canada, a major truck route as well as tourist route - its to the Rockies, Banff townsite and National Park, as well as the town of Canmore, where there is no way in or out. It's a very popular tourist destination not far from Banff townsite. It also has very, very expensive homes, condos, etc. I can imagine this is going to be one of, if not the, most costliest storm in Canadian history.

Truckers had to be airlifted out to safety from the highways. The Trans Canada video was taken this morning, it would be much worse by now.

Calgary downtown is shut down. 100,000 people in Calgary and environs are under evacuation orders. This is no small deal. Calgary Southwest is also Stephen Harper's riding. So, Stevie, convinced there is still no climate change? Or will you muzzle more scientists?


It's terrible that 4 are dead - the rivers haven't peaked yet. I can only hope there are no more fatalities.

edit: should also point out that there has been flooding in the BC sides of the Rockies for a couple of weeks now. Plus add the Fort McMurray flooding a week or so back - a bad year for Alberta.

[wordpix]

3. Canmore is looking bad BUT people should stop building so close to river and creek fronts

http://globalnews.ca/news/658584/flooding-washes-out-trans-canada-highway-banff-canmore-declare-states-of-emergencies/

Mother nature's wrath happens and it's plain stupid to build where she's likely to flood.

[Posteritatis]

4. "Close to river fronts" is flexible when dealing with century floods.

Calling people stupid for that is not quite as silly as the whole "people shouldn't build cities on the coast" schtick that people throw around whenever a city on the ocean has something bad happen, but it's kinda up there.

[wordpix]

5. That's a good developer's line, I've heard it a million times

Fact is we should protect the coasts with dunes and dune grass plantings and the riverfronts and creek fronts with trees and shrubs and stop building so close. End of subject.

And another thing---if you're gonna build on floodplains b/c the government won't pass or enforce regulations to stop it, don't expect my tax dollars to bail you out when your house is washed away. Get your own flood insurance.