Drumheller flood

[GoChris]

I left Calgary and drove out to Drumheller today. My dad called to inform me this morning that they are evacuating people along the river because they had to let the dam out upstream of Red Deer.

They are saying the river will rise between 18 and 25 feet!! So I came to help some family and friends move some stuff.

They built dikes along the river all through town several years ago after a large flood. They made it high enough for the 100 year flood plain. A few years ago before they built the new hospital they also raised the ground up about 6 feet to be above that.

Well, the evacuated the entire hospital today, they had over a dozen ambulances transporting people to nearby communities. They got large trucks in from everywhere they can to add many feet of dirt on top of the dikes, taking hills down for the bentanite (dirt).

Its been pretty crazy around town to say the least.

Anyway, I took some pictures of the work in progress, the river has probably gone up a couple feet since I arrived earlier today. I am just going to try to leave town before too late in case they close the bridge.

Go here for pics: http://www.leechme.com/no-leech/pics/drumheller/

[GoChris]

just a note, on those map pics, the lines are where the water is going to go up to. so all the colored lots is houses that will be flooded. not just basements probably main floor too

some family friends are going to be staying at my dads house since they expect people to be displaced for at least 4 days.

[2002civic]

that is brutal, best of luck to all the familes affected

[unfocus]

wow cant believe al lthis .. never seen this flood here in calgary i mean back in the phillipines theres usually lots of floods but wow didnt see it happening here.. hope eveyroen will be ok

[Z_Fan]

Well, hopefully that will help contain the water...

But if it does get as bad as they think, you can expect that the dirt will not hold and the river will carve its way through where it sees fit.

It's taking out concrete bridges, trees and anything else in its path - so the dirt will only work if that is very close to the extreme edge of the river after it has swollen. It's gonna get ugly! Whoa! This is just NUTS!

[Xtrema]

That's pretty f'ed up if that what they are predicting.... (assuming red line is where the water will reach up to)

[GoChris]

yes, and thats only a small part of the town, 1/3 of the town is being evacuated.

a surveyor was out at a friends house and said the water will reach the celing of their 9 foot basement! so their neighbors will pretty much have water on their main floor.

they were still hauling dirt when I left at 8, dozens of dump trucks wizzing by.

i hope its not too bad, i know several people and family that have to leave and stay elsewhere and they predict for about 4-5 days they will be displaced.

I have more pics I will upload tomorrow probably and I will get pics sent to me tomorrow of the water levels.