The Bow River flows through downtown Calgary on Wednesday, a brighter day after a spate of heavy rainfall in the region.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Water levels on the Bow and Elbow rivers in southern Alberta peaked on Wednesday after several days of heavy rain that prompted weather warnings and raised fears of potential flooding, but officials said the wet weather ended without significant damage.
About 100 millimetres of rain hit the region in just a few days, surpassing the monthly average of 80 millimetres for June – typically Calgary’s wettest month. The heavy rain led to flood warnings and watches throughout the region and localized flooding in several communities in southern Alberta.
Jaime Stopa, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary, said some low-lying areas and pathways could still be affected, but the city does not expect widespread flooding.
“River flows have peaked and are expected to remain elevated for the next few days,” she said.
The recent bout of heavy rain paled in comparison with the storm that led to the 2013 flood, which submerged large sections of downtown Calgary and caused billions of dollars in damage. Back then, more than 200 millimetres fell in just a few days, with some areas seeing more than 350 millimetres.
A dog wades into the Bow River.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Yellow weather alerts were issued in recent days for some cities including Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge. These alerts represent the lowest level in Environment Canada’s warning system, and indicate severe but limited and short-lived weather conditions.
Ryan Fournier, press secretary to Alberta Environment Minister Grant Hunter, said the rain this week was not out of the ordinary.
“This is a well-understood meteorological pattern that has occurred many times throughout Alberta’s history,” Mr. Fournier said.
In Lethbridge, local officials asked residents to conserve water because of the impact of high water levels on the Oldman River on the city’s waste-water treatment plant.
Opinion: We protect apartment dwellers from the cold. So why not the heat?
Liam Nixon, a spokesperson for the City of Lethbridge, said the rain wasn’t expected to cause any flooding there.
“There are a few minor impacts for parks trails and access roads in low-lying areas, but nothing more than that,” he said.
The City of Lethbridge said the Oldman River is under a high stream flow advisory, but low-risk. “That’s not as scary as it might sound,” the city said in a statement.
The river was expected to peak on Wednesday evening, exceeding its levels in recent years but remaining well below the threshold for overland flooding, a provincial forecast said.
Edmonton was also hit with heavy rain and experienced some temporary road closings but was not at risk of flooding, said city spokesperson Megan Candie.
A Calgarian cycles past sandbags that were set up to guard against potential flooding.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail