More rain in the forecast as Prairies hit with flood

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – After days of evacuations, flooded basements and washed-out businesses in southern Alberta, the tributaries that feed the swollen South Saskatchewan River are receding.

But with more rain expected in the next few days, officials said Sunday it’s still too early to lift the state of emergency in Medicine Hat, which – like several communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan in recent days – has been swamped by heavy rains and massive flooding.

"We actually had a very stable night last night," said Andy McGrogan, the city’s assistant duty director of police, on Sunday. "The South Saskatchewan River level is rising but it’s rising very slowly."

The river runs through downtown in the city of 60,000.

During Medicine Hat’s last major floods in 1995 and 2005, the river overran its banks, flooding major streets.

This year, the city was most concerned about the three creeks that feed the river. The narrow waterways collected rain water from the Cypress Hills basin and swelled to massive, torrential rivers.

Some parts of the nearby Alberta towns of Irvine and Walsh were covered in up to 4.5 metres of water, which then began to flow to Medicine Hat on Saturday, backing up sewer systems and flooding dozens of downtown residences and streets.

Forty-four families in Medicine Hat were still getting shelter Sunday from the Red Cross evacuation centre after being forced from their homes.

In Irvine, Kelly and Robin Batten were relieved the kids were OK and the cattle safe, but criticized the lack of emergency response as they gazed upon their land, now an impassable, 150-metre waterway that has washed dozens of buildings into a makeshift dam of broken trees, mud and farm equipment.

"There are five families out here and none of us has seen one county vehicle. Not one emergency vehicle," Robin said.

On Sunday, the Batten family moved wet rugs and pictures from the basement in an attempt to clear the mildew smell from their miraculously intact farmhouse. Everything, however, will have to be replaced.

The creek that runs through the land has permanently altered course and the family is now unsure how long their home will stand. They said they had no clue such a flood was even possible.

"In ’02 we had what they said was the 100-year flood and our creek got a little wider," Kelly said. "It’s not the 100-year flood anymore. This has just blown it away."

"It’s going to be years to clean this up. This is not just a quick fix," Kelly added. Their neighbours suffered similar levels of damage with broken homes and collapsed creeks littering the nearby highway.

Served by mostly narrow gravel roads, parts of the community remained isolated by washed out steel bridges and major road closures.

In addition, parts of the Trans-Canada Highway were covered in water, remaining closed between Medicine Hat and the Saskatchewan border.

The floods have also washed out parts of the railway. A contractor who has surveyed the damage said Sunday that parts of the track were still submerged and workers can’t yet even fully assess the damage. Rail traffic will likely be rerouted for at least another week.

Medicine Hat has seen 150 millimetres of rain in the past few days.

Most areas were reporting declining water levels; however, another 50 to 70 mm. of rain have been forecast to fall within the next two days, possibly causing further havoc.

"Our situation right now is very good. Our worry is that tonight we have a forecast of rain for the next couple of days and we’re concerned rainfall, with the ground still being saturated, is going to create a problem," McGrogan said.

Officials are also concerned as the spring run off has yet to melt.

"Right now we’re saying the situation is stable but believe that may be temporary because of the expected rainfall tonight."

Meanwhile, the Trans-Canada Highway remains closed near Maple Creek, Sask., after a flood left a massive hole – in some parts up to 10 metres deep – on what used to be the four-lane road.

Transportation officials gathered small Saskatchewan town late Sunday to repair the highway, which will be rerouted by the end of the week.

Residents of Maple Creek, located about 375 kilometres west of Regina, were cleaning up after the flood on Sunday.

Mimi Martin, who lives in Maple Creek, described it as a "complete disaster."

"Ranches in the area are awash," she said, adding that men were boating down the street using snow shovels as paddles.

Maple Creek Mayor Barry Rudd said some streets are still covered in water, but the flood is receding.

"We’re in cleanup mode here right now," he said Sunday afternoon. "People are pumping out their basements . . . We’ve got to get these houses and basements cleaned up and get people back into their homes."

Maple Creek residents said the last significant flood in the 2,600-person town was in 1955.

Over the past few years, the area has be plagued by dry weather.

"From droughts to floods," Rudd said. "But, hey, we’re from Saskatchewan. We can handle ‘er."

Calgary Herald and Regina Leader-Post