EDMONTON- As 25 Alberta communities remain under a local state of emergency Saturday, the province says it will provide all resources necessary to deal with the flood situation.
“We have, probably, an unprecedented situation; a disaster that is widespread, that is extensive, that is deep,” Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths said Saturday morning.
“The Provincial Operations Centre is at operation level 4, that’s the highest level and it obviously completely fits the situation that we face,” added Colin Lloyd, managing director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency. “Clearly, this is an overwhelming event.”
But while the province responds to the emergency situation, it is already planning for the next step — recovery and rebuilding.
“The nature of the response that comes from the Provincial Operations Centre and the Government of Alberta… is going to be very unique,” Griffiths explained. “We know that there is not one solution for every community.”
The province has set up a task force of assistant deputy ministers, which is modeled after one that dealt with the wildfires in Slave Lake.
“The idea now is to continue where we need to, to work on the response to the flooding, to work on a transition to recovery. That means the clean up and moving people back into their communities, where possible, and eventually to the rebuild,” Griffiths explained.
The committee met Friday and again on Saturday, and Griffiths says it will continue to meet throughout the week to ensure a quick, seamless recovery.
“Their role is not to focus right now on the emergency. They’re working on the transition after the emergency is done,” he said. “You can’t wait two or three days and have people wonder when do we get back in, how do we get back in. So that’s what they’re doing. They’re always one step ahead, working on the next transition to help people.”
Watch the entire address from Griffiths and Lloyd below:
Meanwhile, the Canadian Red Cross continues to respond to the emergency and has raised more than $2.1 million for the Alberta Floods Fund in less than 48 hours. All money raised will go towards the emergency response and those affected by the floods.
If you’d like to help, financial donations can be made to the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800-418-1111. Calgary residents can also drop off financial donations at the Calgary Farmer’s Market, which will go directly to the Red Cross.
The Red Cross has also set up an information line to assist with family re-unification. If can be reach at 1-866-696-6484.
For Albertans who would like to volunteer with these emergencies, the Non-Government Organization Council (NGO) has set up a toll-free line at 1-866-628-6565.
For the latest information on affected communities, visit Alberta Emergency Alert’s website.
Links to emergency information, community contacts and disaster recovery is available on the Government of Alberta’s website.
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