High River issues rainfall advisory for May-long weekend
Posted May 16, 2014 12:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Town of High River is taking some precautionary measures with the first major rainfall of the spring, issuing a rainfall advisory for the May-long weekend.
Forecasters are predicting 25-40 mm of rain in southern Alberta by Monday night, which will create a high streamflow for the Highwood River.
Residents are being encouraged to make sure sump pump systems, downspouts and eaves troughs are working properly and they should also move important documents up from their basements.
High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass said the real concern is backyard flooding and in past years they wouldn’t have issued a warning, but they’re being cautious because of last June’s floods.
He said this will give town officials an opportunity to test our their new operations systems, using this weekend as a tool for the future.
“So anytime any kind of event happens like this happens, whether it’s an advisory or an emergency, there’s always things you can tweak in your plan to make it better,” he said. “It’s just being responsible with how your systems are in play, because even something as small as this, you can still learn something out of it.”
Snodgrass added there’s definitely some nerves among residents for this first rainfall, but the concern is backward, not overland flooding.
The Town is also advising campers, fisherman, boaters and the general public should be cautious of water levels if they’re close to the river.
