Calgary Floods
I normally only talk about food and restaurants. But today, a perspective on the Alberta floods.
Last night, when the evacuations around the Elbow River started, life still seemed to be normal downtown. I took the Ctrain downtown to my yoga class. I was amazed at how high the water level was over the west end of downtown. Stores were still open, and I had no trouble getting home.
Waking up this morning to evacuation orders for all areas bordering the Bow and Elbow Rivers. My workplace is closed, so I am home for the day. I am very lucky. I live inner city, but on top of a hill. I decided to hop on my bike and go for a short ride.
Kensington is usually bustling, busy, chock full of people and traffic. Due to the evacuation order, all power is off, including the traffic lights. It is like a ghost town.
There is some pedestrian traffic, most of it to one of the only open bridges to downtown.
It is amazing how high the water is. I am surprised that the bridge is open to traffic. They are still in the process of evacuating downtown, so maybe that is why.
I decided to walk over the bridge and I noticed some people that should really be farther away from the water. Just a second before this shot was taken, someone was walking through the water.
Calgary’s new multimillion dollar Peace Bridge. Just constructed, it would be ironic if it was washed away.
I’ve lived many years in Calgary and this is the first natural disaster of this scale that I have seen. I consider myself very lucky that I can carry on with my day in a normal manner. As a matter of fact, the garbage truck just came by to pick up the trash just now. It is very surreal, to visit the community just south of me, to see it evacuated.
When I was biking home, a peace officer was directing traffic on the corner of 14 St. and 5 Ave. NW. It was pouring rain, and he was doing his job. If the stores were open, I would have stopped and bought him a coffee.
My heart goes to my friends in Canmore. They don’t live too far from Cougar Creek. Last I checked with them, they seem to be fine.
Just learned that hubby has to work overnight and probably the weekend at the hospital. People can’t come into work because they have been evacuated.
I’m sure many people, including myself are wanting to help right now. But the Mayor says the best thing to do is stay home and stay safe. Both the Bow and Elbow Rivers have crested and there is still more rain in the forecast. The water level has not yet started going down.
There is a lot of humanity out there. Many people have offered their homes to those evacuated. People are trying to do the best they can. I really like that about Calgary, we have people that care, and pull through in times of crisis.
