A large section of a Strathcona County road has been washed out due to flooding. The affected road is Township Road 534 near Old Man Creek. Dozens of road closures are in place in the county as a result of recent rainfall. “Many of our roads are closed and impassable. Complete washouts have occurred on several roads in our community as well. So we’re really asking our residents that if a road is closed, it’s closed for your safety, and road closures apply to everyone, including motorists, but pedestrians, cyclists, as well,” Deputy Chief Gordon George of Strathcona County Emergency Services told CTV News Edmonton on Monday. As of 11 a.m. on Monday the following closures were in effect: The following roads had been reopened: Dr. Karen Allen is a veterinarian and owner at Hastings Lake Animal Clinic on Township Road 512 in Strathcona County. She says she drove to the clinic on Sunday morning to check on a patient and ensure the facility was still dry. While she was there, a large sinkhole opened on Township Road 512 near the clinic. “I almost drove into it,” she told CTV News Edmonton on Monday. “I don’t have pylons or anything in my car, but a dog kennel, so I threw the dog kennel out in the middle of the road, just to sort of warn people.” Allen says she called the police, who called the county. “The county came pretty quick and put the barriers up. They’re probably running out of barriers because that’s the third road around us that’s blocked now.” She says she’s lived in the area since 1999 and she’s never seen this much rain. “The creek bed on our property, it’s been dry for 20 years, and it’s waist deep and rushing with water,” she said. In addition to road closures, officials are warning residents to stay away from storm ponds. “Many of our stormwater facilities remain high and it’ll take some time for them to recede to the normal levels. More rain is in the forecast over the next week,” George said. “Stay away from our stormwater facilities and flooded areas to avoid any potential hazards.” Edmonton also impacted by recent rain In Edmonton, 137 Avenue from Starling Drive to 199 Street closed as crews worked to deal with erosion. The neighbourhood east of Horseshoe Creek is accessible from Ray Gibbon Drive or 137 Avenue only. People living in the neighbourhood west of Horseshoe Creek can only get in or out by 199 Street and 118A Avenue. Boat launches on the North Saskatchewan River are closed because of the high river levels and fast flow rates. People will also be prohibited from watching the Canada Day fireworks from the river or riverbanks. The city also says if water levels reach 5.5 metres, all low-lying trails in the river valley will be closed. The following trails are currently closed: The east sidewalk on the High Level Bridge has been closed until further notice because of slope instability near the southeast side of the bridge. The city says rain has caused a section of the slope near the guardrail to erode, making it unsafe to access. A portion of the far-left turn lane on the 109 Street hill directly after the bridge is closed as a precaution. Beaver County state of emergency Beaver County has also expanded its state of emergency because of overland flooding in Tofield and beyond. The alert is now in effect for Tofield, Ryley, Holden, and Viking. Pumping and road work is underway throughout the county. Everyone in Beaver County has been asked to reduce all non-essential water use. So far in June 255 millimetres of rain has fallen in Edmonton, breaking the previous record of 217 millimetres in 1914. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny
