Alberta Floods 2013

The flooding situation here in Calgary is worse than I think anyone thought it would get. 175,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Alberta, 75,000 just in Calgary alone. The damage is absolutely devastating.

A big chunk of Baker Park is underwater. The steps my mom and brother are walking down are mostly underwater in the flooded photo – you can only see the first few steps.

That blue picnic shelter is on the opposite side of the river in Bowness Park. On the news this morning they had an aerial view of the park. It looked like most of it was underwater.

See the green grass at the bottom of this photo? Just below it under the water is supposed to be a pathway, but right now it’s covered with water. The trees on the far side are in Bowness Park.

That’s Bowmont Park on the other side of the river with the trees. It looks completely flooded.

Bowmont looks like the parts of it along the river are all flooded.

While I haven’t been impacted directly – I’m still in my house and we still have utilities – it’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening to other parts of my city. The neighbourhood I went to high school in is partially evacuated. I was in Chinatown a couple weeks ago, and now part of that is flooded and has been evacuated. One of the worksites I’ve been working on with work is right between two communities that have both been flooded and people have had to leave their homes.

Parts of the highway through the mountains west have been washed out. The city I went to university in has also been hit hard. High River, the small town I stopped in for a slurpee whenever I drove from Calgary to Lethbridge for school has been completely evacuated.

Ways To Help

Luckily there’s a few ways you can help, even if you’re not in southern Alberta. The Canadian Red Cross is accepting monetary donations for those affected by the flooding. You can donate by clicking here.

The YYC Food Trucks have been feeding first responders, volunteers, and evacuees at evacuation centres set up across the city. They’re accepting donations here to help cover the costs of the food.

The Calgary Humane Society has been taking in pets for people that have had to evacuate and can’t take their animals with them. Information on things they’re in need of and how to donate money is available here.

If you’re in Calgary and close to the Calgary Farmer’s Market, they’re accepting perishable and non-perishable food, which will be going to the Calgary Food Bank.