Extraordinary efforts made to protect Calgary homes from another flood

There are thousands of stories of people who rebuilt and upgraded their homes to prevent another flood.

Mike Eberhard and his wife bought a house on the Bow River in Bowness in 2010 specifically for its location.

READ MORE: Is Calgary ready if another disastrous flood hits?

In the 2013 flood, the water rose just below the waist on the main floor of their home on Bow Crescent but the old wood foundation under the house collapsed and had to be rebuilt.

So they moved the house into the backyard, replaced the foundation and moved the house back, six feet higher, along with the furnace, hot water tank and electrical panel.

READ MORE: Tour of Calgary homes severely damaged in 2013 floods

Mike Eberhard says insurance and provincial money only covered about 10 per cent but they had too much invested to give up.

“We financed everything we had to buy it initially so if we walked away we’d be starting from scratch and I’m not 20 anymore. I can’t do that,” Eberhard said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We financed everything we had to buy it initially so if we walked away we'd be starting from scratch and I'm not 20 anymore. I can't do that," Eberhard said.

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“We’re more protected. We’ve done the mitigation to the best ability that we could and you know, now we enjoy what we have.”

READ MORE: How prepared is Calgary for major flooding?

Twenty minutes away in Discovery Ridge, the Wedgewoods Condominiums are still recovering after the Elbow River flooded.

Water filled the underground parkades, causing $13 million in damage.

The condo board held a special assessment to collect $2.7 million from the 570 owners to protect the complex.

READ MORE: Calgary flood: 5 years later – Photos show dramatic changes from then to now

“Our flood mitigation plan has been to protect our fragile mechanicals located in the parkade levels,” Condo Board Chair Kathryn Hatch said.

They installed flood-proof doors, moved heating boilers to the main floor, raised the outside air vents and built an earth berm between the condo building and the river, rising to a height of seven feet.

“The idea of flood makes people around here a little jittery and a little nervous,” Hatch said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The idea of flood makes people around here a little jittery and a little nervous," Hatch said.

“But I think they feel safer with the flood mitigation work that has been completed.”