http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/06/20/calgary-city-emergency-plan-ch.html6/20/13
Calgary mayor to flood evacuees: 'Gather your valuables and go'
Alberta communities, including Canmore, High River, Bragg Creek, in state of emergencyCalgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is urging residents affected by flooding evacuation orders to "gather your valuables and go," while telling the city as a whole to avoid all non-essential travel on Friday.
"The message tonight is that we are still expecting that the worst has not yet come in terms of the flow," Nenshi told CBC News early Friday in a telephone interview from an emergency operations centre. "The dams will crest on both the Bow and Elbow river over the course of the next little while and the downstream impacts will be significant.
"If you live in any of the neighbourhoods that have now been affected by the mandatory evacuation it is time to leave. Gather your valuables and go," said Nenshi, who returned early from an economic development trip in Ontario to deal with the flooding response.
The flooding in parts of southern Alberta has a dozen communities under a state of emergency, and in Calgary evacuations could affect up to 100,000 people. Officials in Calgary have warned residents to brace the worst flooding since 2005, with the swollen Bow and Elbow rivers expected to crest by 6 a.m. MT.
Calgary officials expanded evacuation orders and opened more emergency shelters Thursday night amid concerns about the rising water levels. The evacuation orders have grown to cover parts of at least 25 neighbourhoods.
Some parts of the city have seen water creep over the edge of the river and into yards and streets. Meanwhile, thousands of people in southern Alberta communities like Canmore and High River have also been forced out of their homes by raging water.
All Calgary public and Catholic schools have been closed for Friday.
Many neighbourhoods are shut even to local traffic. The only movement allowed is people heading out of the area, the city says.
Nenshi said Calgarians should avoid all travel. "Tomorrow is a good day to take a rain day ... Everyone's safety is much more important than anything else that might be going on on a Friday."
Mike Crawford, who lives in Calgary, said he had to leave his home just after noon Thursday.
"I'm not really sure what I'm going to be walking into tomorrow or the next day," he told CBC's Ian Hanomansing
The evacuation orders cover the communities of Beltline, Bonnybrook, Bowness, Bridgeland Industrial Area, Chinatown, Eau Claire, Cliff Bungalow, Deer Run, Discovery Ridge, Downtown, East Village, Elbow Park, Erlton, Inglewood, Hillhurst, Mission, Montgomery, Quarry Park, Rideau, Riverbend, Riverdale, Roxboro, Stanley Park, Elboya, Sunnyside, Victoria Park, Westmount and Windsor Park.
In Bowness, CBC's Kristina Barnes said water levels were high, nearing the top of the bridge. Police were driving along the bridge with a loud-speaker, urging people to stay away.
You can find maps of evacuated areas here.
Officials ask that people notify their neighbours and mark an X on their front doors after they've left to indicate the house is empty and residents are safe.
People are being urged to stay away from river banks as water levels rise.
Residents are encouraged to find shelter with family or friends for at least the next 72 hours. Reception at Southland Leisure Centre and Acadia Recreation Complex centres have been set up for residents who cannot find alternate accommodations.
Those reception centres are located at Southland Leisure Centre and Acadia Recreation Complex.
People should bring identification, prescription medications and other critical personal items with them.
Calgary Transit and Access Calgary are on standby to help residents who cannot leave on their own.
Those requiring assistance are asked to identify themselves to emergency responders going door to door.
People with pets are encouraged to leave them with family or friends. If that option is not available, people can take their pets to the Animal Service Centre.
"It's really high right now," Doug McKeague said Thursday as he stood by a raging river in Bragg Creek, one of the areas affected by the rising rivers. "There's a lot of people who are going to be hurting because of it."
The city of Red Deer was also on alert.
"A local state of emergency was declared at 8 p.m. tonight following a flood warning that was issued upon receiving notice that Alberta Environment is to release a significant amount of water from the Dickson Dam," Red Deer said in a statement.
Worse flooding than 2005
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