After
going through hell, Fort McMurray is going through high water, as heavy
morning rainfall floods parts of Gregoire, downtown and Thickwood.
People who had spent weeks clearing smoke fumes out of their homes woke up to flooded basements and leaking roofs. The high waters formed pools on the road that are deep and wide enough to make regular traffic impossible.
Roads throughout the city have been closed, as work crews scramble to divert flooding with barriers and use vacuum trucks to suck up the rising waters. Power outages have been reported across the city.
For the first time since May’s wildfires, the municipality activated the Regional Emergency Operations Centre around 11 a.m. A state of emergency has not been declared by any level of government.
Flooding has closed Gregoire Drive and Mackenzie Boulevard, as well as Morrison North. The bypass along Memorial southbound is becoming impassable. Traffic lights have lost power, meaning intersections are to be treated as four-way stops.
Roads that have no barricades but are flooded should be avoided; the ground underneath will likely be slippery and could have unseen debris.
Environment Canada is warning low-lying areas will continue to see localized flooding, and washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts should be avoided. Campers should move away from low-lying areas.
“It looks like this summer wants everyone saying we’re Fort McMurray strong to see how strong that is,” said Lester Defina, a Gregoire resident who spent Sunday morning laying a tarp over the roof of his mobile home. The 33-year-old man had recently removed smoke fumes from his home after May’s wildfire.
“I figured I should cover the roof before the wind and rain gets even worse,” he said. “If I have to evacuate again, I hope this time I remember to close the window.”
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada issued rainfall warnings for the entire municipality except Fort Chipewyan, as well as parts of Lac La Biche County.
In an update posted at 10:38 a.m. Sunday, Environment Canada anticipates between 30 and 40 millimetres of rainfall will fall on most of the area. Yet, thunderstorms will localize even heavier rains, meaning some areas could have up to 100 millimetres of rainfall.
Fort McMurray, Wabasca and Slave Lake are expected to see the heaviest rainfall, although there is uncertainty regarding where intensity will be highest.
People who had spent weeks clearing smoke fumes out of their homes woke up to flooded basements and leaking roofs. The high waters formed pools on the road that are deep and wide enough to make regular traffic impossible.
Roads throughout the city have been closed, as work crews scramble to divert flooding with barriers and use vacuum trucks to suck up the rising waters. Power outages have been reported across the city.
For the first time since May’s wildfires, the municipality activated the Regional Emergency Operations Centre around 11 a.m. A state of emergency has not been declared by any level of government.
No evacuations, mandatory or voluntary, have been announced for any area of Wood Buffalo, although the municipality is asking people to restrict travel and respect any barricades.
Flooding has closed Gregoire Drive and Mackenzie Boulevard, as well as Morrison North. The bypass along Memorial southbound is becoming impassable. Traffic lights have lost power, meaning intersections are to be treated as four-way stops.
Roads that have no barricades but are flooded should be avoided; the ground underneath will likely be slippery and could have unseen debris.
Environment Canada is warning low-lying areas will continue to see localized flooding, and washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts should be avoided. Campers should move away from low-lying areas.
“It looks like this summer wants everyone saying we’re Fort McMurray strong to see how strong that is,” said Lester Defina, a Gregoire resident who spent Sunday morning laying a tarp over the roof of his mobile home. The 33-year-old man had recently removed smoke fumes from his home after May’s wildfire.
“I figured I should cover the roof before the wind and rain gets even worse,” he said. “If I have to evacuate again, I hope this time I remember to close the window.”
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada issued rainfall warnings for the entire municipality except Fort Chipewyan, as well as parts of Lac La Biche County.
In an update posted at 10:38 a.m. Sunday, Environment Canada anticipates between 30 and 40 millimetres of rainfall will fall on most of the area. Yet, thunderstorms will localize even heavier rains, meaning some areas could have up to 100 millimetres of rainfall.
Fort McMurray, Wabasca and Slave Lake are expected to see the heaviest rainfall, although there is uncertainty regarding where intensity will be highest.
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