MEDICINE HAT – Portions of the TranCanada Highway reopened this morning as the remaining floodwaters that washed out a wide section oEmerf the road began to dry.
The road was open to local traffic only and the crossing into Saskatchewan remains closed.
Fears of heavy rain and further flooding failed to materialize in Medicine Hat on Tuesday as a storm system expected to drop 20 to 40 mm of rain circumvented the city.
“We are in a recovery and restoration phase,” said local fire chief Ron Robinson.
“Of the predicted rainfall, the Medicine Hat area received 5 mm, so therefore there will be no significant impact to the water systems.”
The South Saskatchewan River, which runs through the city’s downtown, has begun to recede. The swollen tributaries that flooded industrial sections, blocked sewer pipes and submerged residential streets have now stabilized.
Although some parks and roads remain closed, the cleanup is underway and life in the town of 60,000 was returning to normal on Tuesday, although a local state of emergency is still in place.
The priority will be on assessing the damage to homes and businesses so they can return to their lives, Robinson said. He said it was still unknown how long it would be before flood-stained buildings were deemed safe.
“We have a task force that are assessing those homes right now,” he said.
Meanwhile, work is underway to repair damaged sections of the railway between Medicine Hat and Saskatchewan.
Highway 41 south of the TransCanada is also closed in places and police still do not know when the major thoroughfares will be fully reopened.
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