There is some relief for residents and volunteers who have been busy trying to get Alberta Beach back on track following Wednesday's high water levels.

Officials say the riverbank eroded considerably in severe flooding two years ago, making the site near 19th Street vulnerable to further erosion during high water this spring.

Much of the area remained underwater, including in Midland, the headquarters of Dow Chemical Co.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said it repeatedly raised concerns about the Edenville dam’s ability to prevent flooding during extreme conditions because of its inadequate spillway capacity.

About 10,000 people living along two lakes and a river in the state's Midland County were ordered Tuesday to leave home.

Officials with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued an urgent warning on Monday to anyone living without power in the flood-stricken community of Fort McMurray.

Ice jams can stretch for kilometres, reach several metres in height and cause rivers to rise in a matter of hours, says one river ice expert.

It's the second natural disaster that has forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray over the last four years.

The spring flooding situation in northern Alberta appeared to be intensifying on Thursday as officials in some communities warned residents about the possibility they may be forced to leave their homes.

By 2050, the annual cost could exceed US$14 billion and affect 431,000 people, the Aqueduct Floods project of the Washington-based global think tank World Resources Institute found.