Heavy rain raises river levels in Calgary, prompts Canmore evacuation alerts

Officials in the City of Calgary are watching the skies and river levels as more rain is expected to fall by Tuesday morning.

A high streamflow advisory has been issued for the Elbow and Bow Rivers as heavy rain raises river levels and heightens localized flooding concerns.

As of Monday morning, Calgary had received close to 40 millimetres of rain, with an additional five to 10 millimetres expected by Tuesday.

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Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a rainfall warning, noting that some localized areas west of the city could see more rain before the storm system moves out.

The City of Calgary said flows on the Bow and Elbow rivers are expected to increase through Monday, but overbank flooding is not expected in Calgary.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas says upstream reservoirs will be used to help manage flows on both rivers, limiting the risk of flooding within the city.

He noted pathway closures and a boating advisory are in place.

“At this point, we do not anticipate the need for more significant response measures like temporary flood barriers, stormwater outflow closures or pumping operations. But our emergency teams are reviewing conditions every six hours and are ready to respond if anything changes,” said Farkas in a social media update.

• Check the latest forecast and more on the CTV News Calgary weather page

Officials are reminding people to avoid fast-moving water, obey pathway closures and never attempt to drive through flooded roads or underpasses.

Canmore under evacuation alert

The situation is more serious in Canmore, west of Calgary, where heavy rainfall in the mountains has prompted evacuation alerts for several neighbourhoods.

Alerts are in effect for residents on Palliser Trail, the Alpine Club, the Bow Valley Riders Association and properties on Stone Creek Road.

Residents are being told to prepare to leave immediately if an evacuation order is issued and to have enough essentials packed to be away from home for at least 72 hours.

“The evacuation alerts are in place in case we need to move quickly,” said Caitlin Miller, the Town of Canmore’s director of emergency management, in an interview with CTV News.

“It was a very dynamic situation with how quick the rain was falling down.”

Canmore declared a state of local emergency at 9:24 p.m. on Sunday, a short time before the heaviest of the rain was leading to flood conditions.

Flood watches have also been issued for many waterways in the Canmore area, including Steep Creeks, Cougar Creek, Stoneworks Creek and Three Sisters Creek.

Multiple road closures are in place, including a section of Palliser Trail between Palliser Lane and the Highway 1A interchange. Highway 1A is also closed between Elk Run Boulevard and Lincoln Park, while Exit 91 off the Trans-Canada Highway has been shut down.

The town is urging people not to visit waterways to check water levels.

Residents are warned to stay away from riverbanks because conditions are changing rapidly and embankments may be unstable.

“The worst of the rain is behind us,” Miller said.

“We’re thankful the Cougar Creek structure did work as intended - it impounded a significant amount of debris.”

Miller says she wants all residents to respect all the closures currently in place, which are there to protect the public.

“We’ll keep the evacuation alerts in place just until the situation is resolved and we’ll be looking to re-establish some access on some of the roadways that have been closed to make sure that it’s safe for everyone to use.”

Municipal officials say updates will continue to be provided as conditions evolve.