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Leduc County residents concerned over flooding

WATCH: After days of rain in Alberta's capital region, impacts are still being felt. Flooded roads in Leduc County have left area residents worried not only about their transportation but also about emergency services. Chris Chacon reports. – May 23, 2020

After days of rain in Alberta’s capital region, impacts are still being felt.

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Flooded roads in Leduc County have left residents worried not only about their transportation but also about emergency services.

“When the rain started back on Friday, it’s when all the culverts started to get overflown and debris started to back up from all the localized flooding and they got plugged and everything started running over the roads,” resident Justin Zieger explained Saturday.

Several portions of rural roads were completely submerged in water. Leduc County estimates 55 to 75 millimetres of moisture fell within the region. It left some area residents having to detour.

“Most of the vehicles out here aren’t capable to handle these roads. I drive a brand new Ford F-150 and that’s 4×4 and one of the higher trucks out here and I actually bottomed out with that thing and tore off one of [the] panels underneath,” resident Justine Wolokoff said.
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Water has since receded on some of the affected roads but driving conditions are still not ideal.

“I’m concerned that emergency services won’t be able to get down these roads. [A] two-wheel-drive ambulance isn’t going to make it anywhere and a fire truck, being as heavy as they are — a fire truck won’t make it down these roads if there’s a farm fire,” Zieger said.

But the county said it is prepared.

“In the event that we need to find a means to get someone out of their home, we would work incredibly closely with our emergency services department, obviously with Alberta Health Services and we would do our best with the equipment and resources we have available to support that,” said Garett Broadbent, director of road operations and agriculture services with Leduc County.

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The county said as it identifies problem areas, they will be barricaded off and the public will be notified. A list of closed roads can be found on Leduc County’s website.

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