More than 100 people on the Blood reserve in southern Alberta are out of their homes because of flooding, but officials hope the worst has passed.
Reserve spokesman Rick Tail Feathers says “a wicked amount of rain” fell, but it’s believed the Belly River, one of three rivers that border the reserve, has crested.
“Hopefully it’s going to start to recede, but it’s left quite a bit of damage in its wake,” said Tail Feathers.
“There’s a number of houses with flooded basements. Some of the roads were impassable because there was overland flooding over the road. It’s still a state of emergency, however, with the weather report today I think things will probably start to, you know, the rain’s going to eventually stop today, so that’s good.”
Improved forecasts have raised spirits in several other communities, where heavy rainfall had residents worried about flooding.
An Alberta Environment spokesman said Wednesday rainfall was as heavy as predicted, but it wasn’t as widespread.
In all, nine communities and municipal districts declared states of local emergency. Another three activated their emergency response plans.
Even with the threat subsiding, the mess left behind is significant.
Claresholm, a town of 3,800 about 130 kilometres south of Calgary, has about 40 damaged homes — some surrounded by water and some swamped. About 250 homes in Lethbridge were affected, most with flooded basements.