The Flood

I had another typewriter post formulating, but currently my city of 1 million+ is under a state of emergency due to extensive flooding and approximately one tenth of the population is under mandatory evacuation. A power outage is imminent and our water treatment plant is under severe strain. My family and I are safe and dry and have lots of drinking water and food so I don’t anticipate too much hardship, but I have friends who have lost virtually everything and my heart aches for my beautiful city and its people.

You can follow the latest on twitter by searching #yycflood or #abflood. There are some phenomenal photos and videos of the extent of the destruction.

I commend the first responders for all their hard work as well as the many people who have opened their homes to friends and strangers alike. Out of the approximately 100,000 people who were evacuated, only about 1,500 required emergency shelters. That’s amazing. And so far no injuries or deaths have been confirmed which is nothing short of miraculous, although I understand that up to four people may be missing.

Donations can be made to the Red Cross here if you’re so inclined.

Keep safe and dry, Calgary.

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4 Comments

  1. I’ve been watching this off and on via CBC News World. I listen to the TV when I can’t be in the living room. I did a big whack of house cleaning and laundry today. I moved at the beginning of the month to the north shore of Kamloops, and I’m still organizing and reorganizing some of my furniture and other stuff. The one area that had to be set up properly from the get-go was my computer area. That had to be ready to go right from the start.

    I saw how fatigued the Premier of Alberta looked today. I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten her last name. This is probably the largest and worst natural misfortune for Alberta, but I’m hugely relieved to hear you and your family are safe and dry, with lots of safe drinking water and food. I take it you’re not in the downtown area of Calgary. The Saddle Dome is flooded and it’s a safe guess that the Calgary Stampede will not happen this year.

    We’ve got some flooding concerns in B.C., and we had continuous rain here in Kamloops for two days, but today was a mixture of showers and sunshine, mostly sunshine. My landlord was doing battle with his lawn mower to get the grass cut today. I think the problem was that the grass is still slightly damp from yesterday’s steady dripping.

    You and your family keep dry and safe.

    • I’m not too close to downtown, but I’m footsteps away from the reservoir and the Glenmore dam. Thankfully our house is on high enough ground that we won’t be in danger. We still have power, which I’m grateful for. The response from Premier Redford and especially Mayor Nenshi has been outstanding. Nenshi is already considered something of an icon in our city; now I imagine he’ll be elevated to hero status. The city is pulling together in a truly incredible manner. When the water recedes it will be all hands on deck to get everything cleaned up. I’m looking forward to the challenge. 🙂

  2. Hello, fellow Calgarian, my sons and I all live close to the Bow River (3 different locations), and had to evacuate for a few days (I with my kitty!), but the water did not reach our places. I am in awe of Mayor Nenshi and how he can be ultra efficient yet warm and caring and scolding and humorous at the same time–an excellent leader. My prayers go out for all those who lost so much and are still digging out of the water and mud, especially High River and Canmore. I’ve been following your blog for a while and enjoy your posts! Blessings, Ramona

    • Hi Ramona, so glad you and your family are safe and dry! Nenshi has been beyond amazing, I agree. People will never forget how he responded during this crisis. We have the best mayor in the world. 🙂

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