City of Lethbridge preparing for heavy weekend rain

Officials in Lethbridge are on alert with heavy rain in the forecast for the next few days. Karsen Marczuk reports.

With between 50 to 100 mm of rain forecasted to fall in Lethbridge and across southern Alberta, the City of Lethbridge has begun preparing for the heavy amount of precipitation in a short period of time.

While the risk of overland flooding near the Oldman River is low, the city will be monitoring river levels closely this weekend.

“The river is running fairly low as of late, so there is lots of room for the water that we may get as rain to come in... and the river levels should rise a little bit depending on where that rain falls,” said Mark Svenson, environment manager with the City of Lethbridge.

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Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for Lethbridge on Friday because of the heavy rain and strong winds expected on Friday through Sunday.

“When you get a storm system like this that’s going to drop a lot of moisture -- a lot of rain -- and potentially snow in the higher elevations as well, there is a risk of flooding,” said Svenson.

Overland flooding of parks and greenspaces, storm ponds and underpasses are possible.

The city says if storm pond level rise significantly, it can take up to 48 hours after the rain stops for the level to return to normal, because the excess water is released at a reduced rate to protect the storm infrastructure.

While driving, Svenson says if a roadway or underpass is flooded, do not go through large puddles.

“Crews are standing by to unblock storm drains as necessary, and they will be able to respond as required,” he said.

The large amount of water can cause damage to homes and businesses. The city says residents should check sump pumps, basements and near the foundation throughout the rainfall.

“Check your gutters, your eavestroughs on your house,” said Svenson.

“Clean those out and make sure they’re clear and not plugged, so that the rain that does fall on your house can make its way safely off. Make sure your downspouts are directed away from your house. Ideally, you want them directed about two metres away from your foundation.”

While this weather system may pose challenges to infrastructure, it is needed in the region.

According to the province, storage of the Oldman Reservoir is below normal at 66 per cent. The St. Mary Reservoir has a normal level of 87 per cent, while the Waterton Reservoir has a current storage of 69 per cent.

“Having a big rainfall like this does come with both pluses and minuses, but I think everyone who has gardens or trees, this is just a great way to get some water deep into the soil that will really help take us through the summer,” said Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge.

“This is a great time, if you got a rain barrel recently, this should do more than enough to fill it up. Make sure that you have mulch in your garden… that will really help hold the moisture in the soil after the rain stops.”

While the heavy rain is needed, Svenson says it likely won’t solve all the drought problems facing southern Alberta.

“It is possible for us to be in both flood and drought stage at the same time,” he said.

Outside of Lethbridge, other municipalities are preparing for the rain.

Parks Canada has temporarily closed Akamina Parkway and Red Rock Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park to vehicle traffic as a precautionary measure.

The BC River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch for the region.

In a Facebook post, the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) said its flood response unit will be monitoring conditions through the weekend and encourages residents who live in flood-prone areas to take steps to be prepared in the event the region does experience localize flooding.

The RDEK has set up self-fill sandbag stations at Fairmont Hot Springs and along Highway 3 in Hosmer.