Craig Hudson expects to see water on his Leduc County property this time of year.
Usually, it quickly drains away because of culverts — but this year, he is underwater.
In some areas on his property, the water is more than six-feet deep; his house is almost on an island of its own.
“We always get that rush but the culvert will fill up, run over my driveway like a set of rapids and move on.”
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Hudson lives on a flood plain where water gathers from the spring melt and nearby lakes. Hudson said the culverts are blocked and it caused massive flooding.
“That is why these culverts are very important. It’s the pinch-off for east and west, so everything is designed to be here but it’s not designed to stay and vacation,” Hudson said.
“The problem is the water couldn’t get out of here.”
Hudson’s wife has been staying at their son’s place while he has been at home trying to save what he can. The shop and barn were flooded, and water poured into the basement.
“My freezer was floating in the water, and I couldn’t move in the water so the next step was I had to shut the power down,” Hudson said.
Hudson said the flooding in the basement got so bad that water was as high as the second step from the top. Pumps he had in place were overwhelmed and quit working. On Friday, a company delivered Hudson pumps that run on a generator.
“We are making progress,” Hudson said.
“We are a long ways away from making any of this normal again.”
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The rural road is looked after by the province. Alberta Transportation said in an email to Global News that it is aware of the situation and is looking into it, but didn’t elaborate on what could have caused the flood.
Crews have blocked off the road and have been on-site for a few days.
Still, there are a lot of unanswered questions for Hudson. Since this is a groundwater flood, it’s not covered by his insurance, but Hudson feels the responsibility shouldn’t all fall on him for repairs to his house and property.
“This probably is going to take a month to dry.”
Hudson said he is worried about when the water is pumped out and he is left with the aftermath, such as mould.
He said he has had conversations with people from the province but hasn’t been able to get any clear answers.
“No one will step up and say it’s OK,” Hudson said.