The weariness in Barry Rudd’s voice is evident.
Rudd — the mayor of Maple Creek — and other residents of the small, southwest Saskatchewan town, have experienced unprecedented rains during the past two days leading to extensive flooding in the area.
The flooding forced people from their homes and prompted the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway on both sides of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, as well as the temporary closure of an interprovincial park.
“It was something you normally see on TV,” said Rudd, who with others began preparing for the water at 2:30 a.m. Friday. “You don’t see it around here.”
The town and rural municipality of Maple Creek declared states of emergency after more than 100 millimetres fell in the region since Thursday morning. The precipitation led to overflowing banks on waterways and to heavy runoff in other areas.
“Some of the houses have three to four feet of water in their basements just because the table is up so high,” said Rudd. “We’re sandbagging. What else are you going to do? We’re just waiting to see. You can’t fight nature.
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“Everybody is chipping in. It’s a community of 2,500 and everybody is phoning in to volunteer.”
Rains began to ease off later Friday and no rain is in the forecast for the weekend.
As residents of Maple Creek and other towns in the area dealt with flooded basements and streets, several motorists were left — almost literally — with nowhere to turn.
Three kilometres of the Trans-Canada on the Saskatchewan side were underwater as of Friday afternoon, forcing officials to close the highway at Maple Creek and send motorists on detours 150 to 200 kilometres long — north to Kindersley and west on Highway 7 into Alberta. That stretch of the Trans-Canada normally sees about 5,000 vehicles per day.
In Alberta, the Trans-Canada was closed to Medicine Hat (60 km from the border) as there was five feet of water on the road in some places.
Once the water is gone, highways crews will first have to inspect the roads for damage before they can be reopened.
“We could have had some erosion to road beds . . . which gives the highway its strength,” said Saskatchewan Highways spokesperson Kirsten Leatherdale. “It’s all the dirt and gravel underneath that asphalt. If that’s compromised, the asphalt breaks up. We could have huge potholes; we could have erosion on the sides. We won’t know that until the water comes down. The longer it sits there, the worse it will be.”
Leatherdale was unable to predict how long the highway might be closed.
The waters also forced the closure of Cypress Hills Provincial Park as Highway 21, which leads into the park, was flooded.
It is believed to be the first time a provincial park has had to be closed because of flooding. Park employees were going to try to work with campers to get them out of the park if possible.
A bridge on Highway 271, which stretches between Maple Creek and Fort Walsh, was washed out as well.
Back in Maple Creek, several homes on the west side — which is at a lower elevation — were evacuated, including trailers in the town and to the south as well as a new subdivision. It is believed those evacuated were able to stay with friends and family in the area.
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