Flood preparedness kits handed out in Calgary's Mission district
'You just don't know when there's going to be an evacuation,' says renter forced out twice by floods
City of Calgary officials are handing out flood preparation kits to some renters in the Mission area.
Workers are going door-to-door at seven apartment buildings because the area is susceptible to Elbow River flooding and many residents may not have been around during the 2013 flood.
"You have a population that does include a certain amount of people moving in and out at reasonable frequencies," said Frank Frigo, the lead river engineer for the City of Calgary.
"It's very important to communicate directly to those people to make sure they do understand the risk inherent in their community."
Shayne Corey keeps an eye on the Elbow River from his second-floor balcony. He lived in the apartment during the 2005 and 2013 floods, so he appreciates that the city is handing out emergency flood preparation information.
"You just don't know when there's going to be an evacuation," he said.
Frigo says it's important to note the Elbow River has been slowly rising in the Mission area over the past few years.
"Based on very precise measurement engineering tools and hydraulic models we know the differences is a few inches and that's enough to trigger us to make sure Calgarians do know that risk."
The information from the package can also be found on the City of Calgary's website.
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