Alberta Floods - check in please

[Jim Bennett]

Despite the heavily damaged Stampede grounds, the swimming pool of an arena, and endless hours of cleaning and rebuilding, the Calgary Stampede with be starting next Friday, come....

[Ice-breaker]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Despite the heavily damaged Stampede grounds, the swimming pool of an arena, and endless hours of cleaning and rebuilding, the Calgary Stampede with be starting next Friday, come....

That is amazing if they can pull it off. Maybe they will switch the rodeo for aquatic events?

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

That is amazing if they can pull it off. Maybe they will switch the rodeo for aquatic events?

Could be.

It will be an amazing feat. Ken King says that they expect the Saddledome to be hosting bands as scheduled. Considering the water went up to the 10th row seats, that would be incredible if they ready it.

The whole grounds were under water, and a lot of the barns and buildings behind the grandstand, along the Elbow River, were deep in water.

I drove through one of the worst hit areas yesterday, where basements were completely flooded, and even main floors affected. It was a madhouse of activity, as homeowners and volunteers worked feverously to haul out all the garbage created. Appliances, clothes, flooring, building materials, etc. Pumper trucks, bins and piles of trash everywhere. Yet, amongst it there were people working cheerfully, with smiles on their faces.



The whole thing makes one proud to be Calgarian (and Albertan and Canadian too).

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

The whole thing makes one proud to be Calgarian (and Albertan and Canadian too).

Exactly how I feel. What some present as a disaster, I see as a triumph of spirit.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Despite the heavily damaged Stampede grounds, the swimming pool of an arena, and endless hours of cleaning and rebuilding, the Calgary Stampede with be starting next Friday, come....

Giddy Up! Sure hope it happens.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Exactly how I feel. What some present as a disaster, I see as a triumph of spirit.

Absolutely!

Originally Posted by Carol H

Giddy Up! Sure hope it happens.

I definitely will.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

Maybe they will switch the rodeo for aquatic events?

Naw... the water is gone, but there's the evidence left behind, so how about mud wrestling? In the dark, of course, given what happens to electrical gear underwater.

The Stampede people certainly seem determined.!

[David Tilston]

It's the smell, if there is such a thing. I left work today, and the smell was overwhelming! I work down river of the Bonybrook waste treatment plant, which was completely flooded, (flushed?). Now that the water is receding, the residue has a distinctive smell, look, texture, of ummm....well, you know. The folks involved in the cleanup deserve a medal.

[Glenn Baglo]

That's what Chilliwack smells like when they spread manure on the fields. It's all good.

[Hazel in Sk]

What a disaster for the individuals and communities involved.

My daughter lives in High River in a house they were assured would never flood. The water is almost to the top of the basement windows!

At the time they were asked to move out for access reasons the emergency staff said they needn't worry about the house - and could leave the dog and cats inside for monitoring. Seems the water just kept rising.

They believe that their insurance will not pay out - home, a couple of vehicles, all their personal possesions plus business equipment.

As a patent I'm devastated and feeling more than a little bit sick at heart.

[Jim Bennett]

So very sorry to hear that, Hazel. My heart goes out to your daughter and family, along with all the residents of High River.

My sister-in-laws brother (who I know quite well) lives there and is in the same boat. Lots of the houses in High River will be condemned, while some with just flooded basements will be okay once they strip the basement back to concrete. Still, the furnace and water heaters, plus a bunch of the electrical will be ruined.

That community still has all 15,000 of its residents evacuated. There are no services, no police, and I guess that things are getting fairly putrid smelling smelling there.

Most will have no insurance against flooding, though there will be disaster relief funds available, and the Alberta Government is moving to expedite this as fast as they can.

This is beyond being a flood damaged area, it is an absolute disaster. So sad.

[Hazel in Sk]

That seems to tell the story Jim. My ypung folk are still unable to get to their house. The basement was the location of a very expensive sewing studio with various electronic machines. Also the kids' bedrooms, a fancy bathroom and storage in addition to the furnace etc..

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

It's the smell, if there is such a thing.

Are they booking Lynrd Skynrd to open the stampede?

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Carol H
"Unfortunately the situation in Alberta and much of Manitoba is such that most of the big cities have been built on a floodplain. Not sure what can be done at this point."

Roy spoke well to the Toronto situation after Hurricane Hazel, I remember that one, I was only four and a tree came down just missing my bedroom.

In Manitoba yes they did build Winnipeg on a flood plain but Duff Roblin, premier in the 50's built what's called "Duff's ditch" partly in response to the terrible 1950 flood. It's been a saviour for the city and has been expanded and prevents most flooding in the city. We're moving to Emerson in Aug. which is protected by a dike and pumps but we have no qualms about possibly getting flooded out. After all MB knows that the Red and Assiniboine Rivers will nearly every spring get very high.

The problem is Alberta can hardly prepare for the supposed once in a 100 year event (which they've had twice this decade). There are just too many creeks and rivers coming down from the Rockies to be able to successfully divert water preventing flooding like can be down in MB - where it's conveniently flat ground so you can't get the kind of rushing water such as Jim experienced unfortunately taking out so much of what were no doubt lovely trees along the creek which turned into a raging river.

My heart as well goes out to all Albertans who have suffered loss, thank God there were only three deaths and that thousands of volunteers have come forward to help in the clean up efforts.

Adrian

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Most will have no insurance against flooding...

More likely "all".

As has been widely reported by news media, and confirmed in a letter which I just received from my insurer (I'm not affected - I think they just sent it to all Albertans), there is no home insurance coverage against overland flooding in Canada. If water comes in from the sewer, that's sewer backup coverage (available), but if the river comes over your yard and in your front door, you are not covered.

This is an argument for owning an RV rather than a lakeside/riverside vacation home. Non-vacation homes, of course, are another matter for most people; however, the vast majority of people in Alberta do not live in a location which has ever (in our lifetimes) been flooded by a river overflow.

[emers382]

Brian, I agree. As mentioned in my post we are moving to Emerson MB on the Red River and when I asked our insurer about flood insurance she said no go, if we get flooded because of the river overflowing the dikes protecting our town then we have to go to the provincial flood fund to get anything.

Adrian