19:33 - 18.06.05
Local emergency
Just an emergency update dear diary.
The mayor just announced a local state of emergency here.
In the past 24 hours the water in the Glenmore dam rose 3 meters/ 9.75 feet. It is overflowing the structure. It is deemed a critical condition. One dam upstream of Priddis has already collapsed and I believe there were concerns expressed about the Old Man River dam as well. Disaster
There is a mandatory evacuation order just been declared for some communities along the Bow and Elbow Rivers in the city as well as for the nearby communities of Okotoks, Sundre, Priddis, Bragg Creek and parts of High River. Most of the roads south of Calgary are closed, as is the Number 1 highway west between Calgary and Canmore. There have been nearly 100 evacuations by Stars air ambulance of campers caught out in the storm.
In the city, Memorial Drive, and parts of 14th Street have been closed due to flooding and a number of bridges appear to be close to being washed away by flooding. The pathways are all closed of course, and a number of river parks like Bowness, Fish Creek, and Carburn are already flooded. There has been no mention of either the Zoo on St George's Island or Prince Island. I suspect Carifest and the Jazz festival will likely have to be moved indoors. The family picnic we planned for Father's Day is also a no go since my Dad and one of my sister's homes in the city are flooding as we speak.
There have also been a number of funnel clouds sighted, especially just north of the city. My sister, who lives in Airdrie, actually called her insurance company to make certain they were covered should a tornado damage their home. The Province is offering disaster relief funds for damage not covered by insurance, but I'm not certain the amount mentioned will cover most people since 17 communities and regions are deemed to qualify.
That's all for now dear diary. Talk with you later.
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