Calgary and region are clearing up after days of rain and wind

Canada's rain warning for Calgary ended Wednesday — the city is closely monitoring the risk of flooding, but the mayor is asking residents to be aware of river levels.

While rainfall warnings were lifted for Calgary and the rest of the province on Wednesday, wind warnings remained in place for some areas after two days of storms. Calgary, Canada reported wind gusts of 94 km/h on Wednesday.

Carol Henke, public information officer for the Calgary Fire Department, says firefighters have been “incredibly busy” with the number of downed trees and power lines in Calgary from the high winds. He said there were more than 200 wind-related calls between Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning.

He said the numbers included more than 70 emergency calls, more than 50 electrocutions and five lightning strikes between 10:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

However, no injuries have been reported.

“I think we're very fortunate because the number of downed trees caused some property damage, but it could have killed someone in an instant. And we're very fortunate that no injuries were reported. All the trees are down,” he said.

Tuesday's strong gusts of wind and moisture could bring down trees, Henke said, advising Calgarians to be cautious.

“Be careful when you're out there. Watch your surroundings and be careful when you're driving, especially if you're driving a high-profile vehicle because that wind can really cause an accident,” he said.

The city of Calgary remained under a local state of emergency on Monday.

“Right now we're holding it as a precaution and to make sure people are protected … Most Calgarians know that the weather can change on a dime,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Calgary is an eye opener.

He also urged Calgarians to be aware of what's happening in the city as river levels remain high.

“What we learned in 2013 is that the most important thing we can do as a city is to communicate early and often,” he said.

“Listen to the radio. Watch TV. Check the city website for updates. Check social media. We're trying to get as much information out as possible so that if it's affecting people's personal property, they'll have someone from Emergency Services knock on their door and tell them what to do.”

The city closed Bowness Park, St. Patrick's Island Park and Prince's Island Park at 4 p.m. Tuesday. It also closed Memorial Drive at NW 10th Street and created a berm.

The Elbow River has reached its peak, the city said, and is not expected to rise any higher. The Bow River is expected to crest Wednesday afternoon.

The city says water levels will remain high in the coming days and could change with additional weather systems.

While that may be a tall order after two years away during the pandemic, Gondek urged Calgarians to stay indoors, off the river and its roads as much as possible.

“It will pass. But until it does, let's be safe.”

Lisa Jackson with the Alberta Environment and Parks Emergency Management Unit said at a press conference Wednesday that while some localized flooding has been reported, no major flooding has been reported.

All major Alberta rivers have crested or will soon crest before moving east across the province, he said.

Estimated flows into the reservoirs have dropped significantly over the past day, so Jackson says there are no structural or dam safety concerns. Flows from Dixon Dam increased Wednesday morning, so anyone near the Red Deer River may have noticed a change in water flow.

A number of provincial parks are closing due to the rain, including the Bow River and Three Sisters campgrounds along the Trans-Canada Highway east of Canmore.

Some highways were also affected. Drivers are encouraged to call 511 to check coverage before setting off.

As it moves out of the province on Thursday, the weather system is expected to drop another 5 to 20 mm of rain across central and southern Alberta.

Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert said the city is closely monitoring the reservoirs, but it appears the water levels may not be as high as originally anticipated.

The city, about 100 kilometers west of Calgary, has activated an emergency coordination center and is monitoring flow levels. According to Krausert, the team worked around the clock and prepared sandbags for residents to use.

“Keep calm and be thankful the rain is letting up and stay out of rivers and streams. They are still flowing very strongly and the banks may be unstable,” he said.

Rainfall totals vary across the province Sunday afternoon.

According to Environment Canada, 218 mm of rain had fallen in the Kananaskis area by midday Wednesday. For comparison, the Olds got 86.5mm and the Banff got 42mm.

Environment Canada also reported a range of readings in Calgary – the airport saw a total of 62 mm, while the Springbank area received 79 mm.

Environment Canada said the strongest winds of the past 72 hours were in areas north of Calgary and in the southeast corner of the province, with gusts of 104 km/h.

“A Wide Range of Emotions”

Calgarian Jean Wooller had her Sunnyside home damaged by the 2013 flood. He now lives in Bowness and is President of Bowness Responsible Flood Mitigation Society. He said the community had been sending emails from nervous residents for two days.

“There's a wide range of feelings, and it depends a lot on people's experiences in 2013, where they live in the community, what level of easement they have,” he said.

“But there are some concerns. Concerns about the possibility of an evacuation and whether there could be a loss of power, what could cause the evacuation. There's still an unknown. Not a lot of information has been shared about that.”

However, he believes the actions of both the city and the province have put Calgary in a better position than it was in 2013.

“It would be great to hear some lessons after this incident.”

As of 4 p.m., Environment Canada is issuing a wind advisory for much of southeastern Alberta.