BACK IN 2005 IT RAINED STEADY FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF JUNE, A LIGHT STEADY RAIN. THE BOW RIVER THROUGH CALGARY FLOODED A FEW PARTS OF THE CITY. FIRST TIME IN CALGARY HISTORY THAT ANY PART OF THE CITY NEEDED TO BE EVACUATED.
THE PARK A FEW BLOCK FROM ME WAS FLOODED ABOUT 50 YARDS INTO THE PARK WITH THE BLOW RIVER.
IT WAS THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A ONCE IN HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO HAPPEN, AS IT HAD NEVER HAPPEN BEFORE.
BUT NOW......THE PREMIER [STATE GOVERNOR] HAS SAID THIS FAST AND QUICK STORM [WITHIN 36 HOURS] IS AT LEAST THREE TIMES WORSE THAN THE STORM OF 2005, AND ALSO THIS ONE COVERS ALL OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA, NOT JUST THE CALGARY AREA.
THE DOWN-TOWN OF CALGARY IS UNDER WATER. THE CITY AT NIGHT IS DARK - NO LIGHTS. DAILY WORK IN THE CITY CENTER HAS COME TO A STOP, AND DEPENDING ON THE DAMAGE TO POWER, MAY REMAIN A CLOSED WORKING CITY CENTER FOR DAYS TO COME. NATURALLY CITY TRANSPORTATION TO DOWN-TOWN HAS STOPPED.
THE FAMOUS "CALGARY STAMPEDE" GROUNDS IS UNDER FEET OF WATER. THE "SADDLE DOME" [18,000 SEAT INDOOR ARENA] HOME TO THE CALGARY FLAMES PRO HOCKEY TEAM, HAS BEEN FLOODED UP TO THE 14 ROW OF SEATS. IT WILL BE A QUESTION IF THE CALGARY STAMPEDE WILL HAPPEN THIS TIME, STARTING DATE WAS PLANNED FOR JULY 5TH.
ABOUT 75,000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO BE EVACUATED FROM CALGARY.
AMAZINGLY THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHS OR INJURIES TO ANY CALGARY PEOPLE. ALL HAVE PULLED TOGETHER, FROM POLICE TO FIREFIGHTERS TO ANY AND EVERYONE. TOTAL STRANGERS OF OTHERS HAVE OFFERED SHELTER TO THOSE WHO HAD TO EVACUATE AND HAD NO WHERE TO GO. ONE OF MY GUITAR STUDENT'S FATHER CALLED ME AT 7 AM AND SAID, "KEITH IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE OUT YOUR WELCOME HERE AT OUR HOME." I THANKED HIM INDEED FOR I SAID I WOULD HAVE NO WHERE TO GO, EXCEPT TO MY MUSIC ROOM IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE I TEACH. BUT BEING ON HIGH GROUND ABOVE THE BOW RIVER, I WAS IN NO DANGER OF BEING FLOODED.
THERE ARE TWO RIVERS THAT COME TOWARDS CALGARY FROM THE CANADIAN ROCKIES - THE BOW AND ELBOW RIVERS; THEY MEAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY; HENCE THIS MASSIVE FLOODING.
TO THE SOUTH OF CALGARY, ABOUT 25 MILES, THE TOWN OF "HIGH RIVER" [BUILT ON A KNOWN FLOOD PLAIN] ALL 13,000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO BE EVACUATED. SADDLY 3 PEOPLE THERE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE FLOOD. OTHER SOUTH-EAST ALBERTA CITIES CLOSER TO THE USA BORDER ARE YET TO FACE THE FLOODING, BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE PREPARING FOR IT, AS THEIR RIVERS WILL OVERFLOW IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.
THERE WAS AN INTERVIEW ON CBC RADIO; THE QUESTION WAS PUT TO A WEATHER EXPERT, AS TO WHY THE TOWN OF "HIGH RIVER" WAS BUILT ON A FLOOD PLAIN. HE SAID THEY WENT ON THE HISTORY OF AT LEAST 100 YEARS BEFORE, NO FLOODING. HE ADMITTED IT WAS AN ERROR TO DO SO. ASKED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THIS FREAKY WEATHER STORMS, HIS ANSWER WAS LONG AND DETAILED, BUT THE BASICS WAS - GLOBAL WARMING. 300 GLACIERS IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES HAVE DISAPPEARED SINCE 1925. THE NORTH POLE IS MELTING. THE WATER FROM ALL THIS GOES UP INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. THERE ARE NOW HUGE RIVERS SO TO SPEAK IN THE ATMOSPHERE, CONTAINING MORE WATER THAN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WHEN IT COMES DOWN IN THE FORM OF RAIN, WE CAN HAVE THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA FLOODS.
AND HIS CHILLING ENDING WAS IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IT HAS EVER HAPPENED IN THE HUNDREDS OF PREVIOUS YEARS.
IT IS PART OF THE WORLD'S MIXED UP WEATHER. ONLY A WEEK OR SO AGO ALASKA HAD A TEMPERATURE OF 36 C, OR NEARLY 100 F.
BREAKING THE 1926 MARK OF 26 C.
THE TOWN OF "BRAGG CREEK" 10 MILES SOUTH WEST OF CALGARY, WAS UNDER WATER, MAJOR DAMAGE. MY HORSE GOLDIE IS BOARDED 6 MILES NORTH OF BRAGG CREEK, A LITTLE FLOODING IN THE SMALL INDIVIDUAL PADDOCKS, BUT THE PASTURE FOR THE GELDINGS AND PASTURE FOR THE MARES WAS UN-FLOODED; ALL HORSES ARE FINE.
THERE MAY BE CLEAN UP AND SOME FENCE REPAIRS NEEDED, AND MOST OF US HAVE OFFERED TO PITCH IN.
THIS REALLY IS AN UN-PRESIDENTIAL STATE FOR SOUTHERN ALBERTA....NEVER KNOWN IN PAST HISTORY. IT IS MAKING THE FLOODING OF 2005 SEEM LIKE A SUNDAY AFTERNOON PICNIC IN COMPARISON.
I WAS BLESSED TO BE LED BY THE LORD TO FIND THIS LOWER HOUSE APARTMENT 12 YEARS AGO, THAT IS HIGH ENOUGH TO BE NOT IN DANGER OF FLOODING. THE ETERNAL, UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME, WAS LOOKING AFTER ME; HE CAN SEE THE FUTURE.
I THANK HIM AND GIVE HIM PRAISE.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN ME, WHO HAVE BEEN FLOODED OUT FROM A FEW FEET TO HALF OR MORE OF THEIR HOUSE UNDER WATER. SOME 600 HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM ROOF TOPS BY HELICOPTERS AND 200 BY MOTAR BOATS.
A BLESSING; THE PEOPLE OF CALGARY HAVE PULLED TOGETHER AS ONE LARGE FAMILY, WANTING TO HELP ANYONE IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND KINDNESS IS VERY MUCH A PART OF CANADIAN PRAIRIE ATTITUDE; SHOWN ONCE MORE IN THIS DISASTER OF JUNE 2013.
OH YES, PRAY FOR THOSE IN INDIA ALSO GOING THROUGH MASSIVE FLOODING, OVER 500 DEAD SO FAR.
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