Fort McMurray flooding a 'bad dream' after wildfire

People inFort McMurrayaretaking stock of water damageafter torrential rain flooded parts of the city over the weekend, including some areas that escaped devastation from the wildfire that forced tens of thousands out of the northern Alberta community in May.

• Heavy rain causing localized flooding in Fort McMurray

Rising water prompted theRegional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to reopen its emergency operations centre for the first time since thewildfire, which has come to beknown as the Beast.

It's a bad dream . . .I think I'm in a bit of a denial state. How can this happen?How can so much happen within the span of three months?- KeithMcGrath, RegionalMunicipality ofWood Buffalocouncillor

City crews in drainage trucks pumped water out of those neighbourhoods on the weekend, evenas ittrickledinto basements and forcedroad closures.

"It's a bad dream,"saidcity Coun.KeithMcGrath."I think I'm in a bit of a denial state. How can this happen?How can so much happen within the span of three months?"

McGrathsaidthe flooding isa further drain on Fort McMurray, which reopened to wildfire evacuees in June.

Even though the physical damage appears manageable, he said, the emotional toll is high.

"It's an upsetting time for a lot of people," he said."When do we get a break?

"It just seems like it never ends for us ... It's just not our year."

McGrathsaid the full extent of damage won't be known until the floodwaters turnto puddles.

"All you can do is be strong for each other, but it gets old," he said.

"We won't give up."

Water began to recede Sunday evening.Even still, fire crewsstood by to wade into anyrescue efforts.

But their boots stayed dry,said Brad Grainger,the fire department's deputy chief of operations.

Grainger said it was a relief for firefighters, who had assembled quickly at the hint of another possible natural disaster.

"We just went through the largest disaster in Canadian history, so I think we're OKfor a couple of years.It's somebody else's turn."

@ZoeHTodd