Calgary on road to recovery after massive floods

Crews work to get services restored to Calgary's Chinatown.

Power has been restored to many of the flood-affected neighbourhoods in Calgary and home and business owners are mopping up and mucking out their properties.

A mandatory evacuation order was lifted for communities outside the downtown core and people are returning to flooded basements and mud soaked homes.

Information packages are available for homeowners at re-entry centres throughout the city.

Bruce Burrell, Director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), says crews will be working throughout the day to restore power to affected communities.

Enmax crews have restored power to the following communities:

There are still a number of areas that are experiencing power outages including:

Power has also been restored to several areas of the downtown and inspectors are checking about 3,300 buildings to assess them for safety.

CEMA officials say that the whole process could take several more days to complete.

The area west of 2 St. S.W. to the Bow River and land north of Riverfront Ave., between 2 St.S.W. and Centre St. has been reenergized and opened to the public.

The city says there may still be some debris on sidewalks and roadways so people should use caution if they are coming into the downtown to check on homes and businesses.

Officials are asking people to stay out of areas north and west of the Elbow River, including the East Village, Prince’s Island Park, the Stampede grounds, and much of the Beltline.

Mayor Nenshi says that progress is being made more quickly that originally expected, but it is still a slow process.

“The process, now in residential communities and the downtown and the Beltline, is a slow process. In order to reenergize, it’s not as easy as flipping a switch. Enmax can energize the grid, but the city needs to assess properties for safety,” Nenshi says.

There is a mandatory restriction on outdoor watering in place and citizens are also being asked to limit usage to essential needs only.

Residents in need of a little relaxation should also note that all fitness and aquatic centres are open with the exception of the Beltline Pool, Southland Leisure Centre, and the Village Square Leisure Centre.

Llive map of closures, detours and restrictions.