Flood fears in Southeastern Alberta ease
Posted Apr 8, 2011 1:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Many residents in Southern Alberta are breathing a sigh of relief following word that it appears water levels along area rivers, streams and creeks have peaked, at least for now.
Brandy Calvert with the City of Medicine Hat tells 660News the owners of some 200 homes in their South Saskatchewan river valley have been told to keep an eye on water levels and some sandbags have been deployed.
She says more sandbags can be brought in within an hours notice if need be.
Doug Henderson with Cypress County says this weekend volunteers are going to fill some 10 thousand sandbags which will be stockpiled ahead of possible future flooding.
Henderson says water levels are high in and around the Hamlets of Walsh and Irvine but at this point conditions are better than they were last spring.
Insurance companies and the Alberta Government paid out Millions of dollars in flood damage claims last year.
Heavy rains in June is what caused the big flood of 2010, with the ground already saturated following the spring melt.
Officials say the one good thing that came out of last year’s flooding is it increased awareness and improved preparedness.
