Flood warnings issued for southern Alberta rivers

With southwestern Alberta expected to absorb another 20 to 50 millimetres of rain by Sunday, flood warnings have been issued for rivers that flow through several communities.

Environment Alberta issued warnings — when rising levels will flood adjacent areas —Saturday night for:

• Elbow River, upstream of the Glenmore Dam and including Bragg Creek.
• Highwood River, including the town of High River.
• Sheep River, including Black Diamond and Turner Valley.
• Threepoint Creek.

The town of High River, south of Calgary, urged its residents in low-lying areas to take precautions, such as moving valuable items from their basements, as they expected the Highwood River to reach bank levels by Sunday morning.

The Calgary Fire Department warned people to be careful on the banks of the swollen Elbow River, which flows through the city, because the increased flow causes erosion of the banks. The department said there's also an increased chance that storm sewers might overflow.

The City of Calgary reminded people who live in areas affected by previous floods to:

• Install the cap in the basement sewer floor drain if you don't have a mechanical back flow prevention device in place. If the cap cannot be found, stuff rags down the floor drain tightly enough to help prevent sewage from backing up into the basement, then secure the rags by placing a heavy object on top.
• Remove newspapers from basements because wet newspaper can stain carpets with ink.
• Check basement sumps for water periodically and make sure they're working.
• Consider moving business records and dangerous goods from the basement of a business to an upper floor.

"It's important to take precautions around rising river levels," said Cara Van Marck, spokeswoman for Alberta Environment, on Saturday. "Any campers or fishers or anyone who might be around these rivers, it's a good idea to get your gear away from the rivers and just to generally take precaution."

A flood watch — when stream levels may exceed banks and flooding is a possibility — was also issued for several streams, including the Bow River, Fish Creek and Crowsnest River.

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority also issued a high stream flow advisory for the South Saskatchewan River, which flows into the province from its western neighbour.

The authority says early projections suggest the portion of the river between the Alberta boundary and Lake Diefenbaker River could rise by as much as two metres by Thursday.