Alberta flooding: Several communities under state of local emergency

Rising water levels have led to states of local emergency in several southern Alberta communities.

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TheBlood Reserve, 233 kilometres southeastof Calgary, joined the list ofcommunitiesdeclaringa state of local emergencylate Tuesday. A reception centre has been set up at the Blood Tribe multi-purpose building.Evacuees can report there, or call403-737-3868 with any questions.

• Blood Reserve residents forced from homes by flooding

"There are elevated water levels in streams and rivers that may create dangerous situations or lead to flooding. The Oldman, St. Mary, Belly and Waterton rivers are rising," said an Alberta Emergency Alert.

Five other areas have already been issued warnings.

• Municipal District of Willow Creek, which includesClaresholm.
• CrowsnestPass.
• LethbridgeCounty.
• City of Medicine Hat.
• Cardston.

Officials with the Town ofClaresholm, an hour southeast of Calgary, are asking some residents to leave their homes because of overland flooding.

• Overland flooding prompts local state of emergency in Claresholm

The sewer system is also backing up and somehomes are under water.An evacuation centre has been set up at the Claresholm arenafor any residents affected by the flooding.

Schools in the town are also closed, except for students writing diploma exams. Parents are asked to take thosestudents to the arena, where buses will pick them up and take them totheir schools.

The threat of floodingis expected to continue through Wednesday as Environment Canada issued anotherrainfall warningearly in the morning for parts ofsouthern Alberta.

• Crowsnest Pass declares emergency over flood fears
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• Environment Canada |Public Weather Alerts for Alberta

Environment Canada says a low-pressure system is expected to bring up to 70 millimetres of rain Wednesdayin the southwestern foothills before tapering offThursday morning. The total rainfall in that area may exceed 200 millimetres.

Less overall rain than expected

The rainfall warnings for Kananaskis and Canmorehave ended, but several areas are still expecting heavy rain:

• Brooks,Strathmore and Vulcan.
• Cardston, Fort Macleod andMagrath.
• Crowsnest Pass,Pincher Creek andWaterton.
• Lethbridge,Taber and Milk River.
• Okotoks, High River andClaresholm.

The rainfall warnings do not includeCalgary.

Provincial governmentflood forecasters say much less rain fell overnight than expected.

"While overnight there were some pockets of very intense precipitation and there has been some localizedflooding, the rainfall has not lived up to expectations. It's significantly less than we had predicted," saidKatrina BluetchenofAlberta Environment.

In Cardston, there are reports thatLee's Creek has overflowed and low-lying areas are beginning to flood.People inCoalhurstare also experiencing flooded basements and sewerbackups.

OldmanRiver to peak Friday

Lethbridge Countysayswater levels in theOldmanRiver are extremely high.

Albertans living in the Oldman River Valley are being told to anticipate a potential evacuation Wednesday, and to move any livestock in the area to higher ground.

Roughly 250 homes have already been affected by overland flooding. Residents are asked to stay away from the river banksbecause they may be unstable.

The Oldman River is expected to peak in Lethbridge on Friday, but flow rates are now projected at less than half of earlier estimates.

"We've been making sandbags, at our city operations centre, and we've been protecting the city assets and preparing to protect residential areas," saidLethbridgeMayor Chris Spearman.

Officials now say flooding in Medicine Hat will not be nearly as bad as originally projected. Mayor Ted Clugston says the city is also better prepared this year for flooding.

• Medicine Hat prepared for flooding, says mayor

"We're dealing with a lot of disbelief thathow could this possibly happen again almost exactly a year later," saidClugston.

"Most of us believed that we would get through this year without it, but now it appears to be upon us again."

Temporary mitigation measures are being employed in Harlow, Riverside, Lions Park, Strathcona Island Park and River Flats.

Alberta Heath Services is reminding residents that floodwaters may contain raw sewage and chemicalcontaminants.Officials suggest using protective equipment while cleaning up the mess left by flooding, and then showering with soap and warm water.

The current heavy rainfall has also contaminatedsurface waters in southernAlberta, Alberta Health Services said.

There are currently no boil-water advisories in affect, but health officials sayresidents in rural areas using well water should take extra precautions.