Alberta floods A timeline of the flooding that devastated parts of Alberta
- June 19: Torrential rains begin falling over southern Alberta.
-
June 20: Environment Canada issues a rainfall warning for southern Alberta. About 100 mm of rain falls on the region, and the national forecaster predicts the amount could double over the next few days.
The Bow river swells over its banks in downtown Calgary, Alta. Heavy rains have caused flooding, closed roads, and forced evacuation in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, June 20, 2013.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh -
June 20: More than a dozen different communities from north of Calgary, south to Lethbridge and west to the Rocky Mountain parks declare states of emergency. High River and Canmore are among those worst hit by the flooding.
Kevan Yeats swims after his cat Momo to safety as the flood waters sweep him downstream and submerge the cab in High River, Alta. on June 20, 2013 after the Highwood River overflowed its banks. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jordan Verlage -
June 20: Mud slides cause part of the Trans-Canada Highway running through Banff National Park to be closed. Evacuation orders begin to be issued in low-lying areas of Calgary. In Turner Valley, a pipeline ruptures leaking potentially deadly sour gas.
-
Debris and water pours across the Trans-Canada Highway as Canmore struggles with flooding Thursday June 20, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Craig Douce, Rocky Mountain Outlook -
June 21: As the Bow and Elbow rivers continue to rise, about 75,000 are evacuated from Calgary.
-
The Bow River overflows in Calgary on Friday, June 21, 2013. Heavy rains have caused flooding, closed roads, and forced evacuations in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh - June 21: Water seeps into the Saddledome, the city's National Hockey League arena, and swamps the grounds of the Calgary Stampede.
-
The Calgary Saddledome is flooded due to the heavy rains have caused flooding, closed roads, and forced evacuation in Calgary, Alta., Friday, June 21, 2013. Friday, June 21, 2013. Officials estimated 75,000 people have been displaced in the western Canadian city. Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the Elbow River, one of two rivers that flow through the southern Alberta city, has peaked. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh -
June 21: Premier Alison Redford promises financial assistance for flood victims. The Department of National Defence deploys soldiers to the flood zone to help out. Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits Calgary and offers words of encouragement to residents.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, far right, looks at a map of the flooded areas of Calgary with Alberta Premier Alison Redford, centre, and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, as fire chief Bruce Burrell points out problem sites. Heavy rains have caused flooding, closed roads, and forced evacuation in Calgary, Alta., Friday, June 21, 2013.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh -
June 21: Officials say at least three people have died in southern Alberta as a result of the flooding. The town of Medicine Hat declares a state of emergency.
- June 22: Rivers in Calgary begin to recede and officials begin giving permission for some evacuated residents to return home.
-
June 22: In Medicine Hat, thousands of people are ordered to evacuate as the South Saskatchewan River continues to rise. Flood watches go into effect for Edmonton. Flooding also forces evacuations in communities in Saskatchewan and B.C.
Volunteer firefighters and take a break after building up a wall of sand bags in preparation for flooding in Medicine Hat, Alta., on Saturday, June 22, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette -
June 23: About 65,000 Calgary residents are given the all-clear to return home as cleanup efforts continue. Provincial officials say 27 communities had declared states of emergency.
Clean-up crews are hard at work getting the Calgary Stampede grounds ready in Calgary, Alta., Monday, June 24, 2013. Calgary Stampede officials say the 2013 event is a go. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh -
June 23: The North Saskatchewan River continues to rise, further threatening Medicine Hat.
A photograph from a hill top as the river rises rapidly and begins flooding in Medicine Hat, Alta., on Sunday, June 23, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette -
June 24:
"We are going to do — please listen to my words — whatever it takes to get everyone back to a place where they can continue to live their lives," - Alberta Premier Alison Redford
-
June 24: The Alberta government announces a $1-billion fund to rebuild from the floods.
-
June 27: A bridge spanning Calgary’s swollen Bow River gives way as a Canadian Pacific freight train is crossing over it. The cars were eventually unloaded and removed without a spill, but the incident left Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi furious with CP Rail.
Rail cars sit crumpled on a track near the Bonnybrook train bridge that runs south of the CP Ogden rail yard in Calgary, Alberta on June 27, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jordan Verlage -
July 5: After a massive and frantic cleanup effort, the 101st edition of the Calgary Stampede goes ahead with the slogan “Come hell or high water.” Some events had to be relocated and some headlining concerts, including a performance by rock band Kiss at the badly damaged Saddledome, had to be scrubbed.
-
July 28: The province announces details of assistance it is offering to repair flood-damaged houses. Homeowners who qualify will get assistance for repairs or a complete rebuild — if that turns out to be cheaper — but the funding formula only covers “basic levels of finish” such as vinyl siding, asphalt shingles, “basic-quality” carpet and laminate counter tops.
-
Aug. 15: A concert to raise money for flood relief is held at McMahon Stadium. The lineup includes, Loverboy, Nickelback, Jann Arden, Randy Bachman, Tom Cochran, and Ian Tyson.
-
August 22: The government offers buyouts to 254 homeowners whose houses were built in the flood plain. The buyout covers the property-tax-assessed value of the home. Those who refuse to leave are told they won’t be covered by the province in a future flood. The maps are controversial. Some buyout eligible homes weren’t damaged in the floods, while other homes that were destroyed weren’t included in the program.
-
Sept. 11: The Saddledome re-opens with two concerts by the legendary rock band the Eagles. About 2,500 seats in the lower bowl needed to be replaced as well as the ice pad, dressing rooms and the scoreboard electronics. It took 650,000 man-hours of work. The Flames return for their first exhibition game Sept. 14.
Fans enter the Saddledome as the opening ceremonies start prior to the Edmonton Oilers playing the Calgary Flames during first period NHL pre-season hockey action in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh -
November 21: Premier Redford says the province will go ahead with flood mitigation projects. She says reviews are set to begin on a diversion channel around High River and on a dry dam upstream of Calgary. The province says it will also give money to the city of Calgary to study the merits of an underground diversion channel to take water from the Glenmore Reservoir to the Bow River.
-
An Amur tiger licks another as visitors record the scene at the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013. The zoo fully re-opened Thursday after being closed due to severe flooding last June. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh -
June 6, 2014: The province updates its numbers: 10,500 people have applied for money to repair their properties through the Disaster Recovery Program. Of those, 1,500 were small business owners. Of the more than 250 homes in the flood plain eligible for buyout, 77 have agreed to sell at a cost of $81 million to the province.