Video's - Severe flooding prompts evacuations, states of emergency throughout southern Alberta.

Video's - Severe flooding prompts evacuations, states of emergency throughout southern Alberta.HT: TheweatherNetwork. Yahoo.

Two people are missing, and states of emergency have been declared in communities throughout southern Alberta, including the City of Calgary, Lethbridge and several others, as heavy rains over the past day have caused waterways to swell over their banks, washing out roads and bridges, forcing some local residents to evacuate.

The City of Calgary activated its Municipal Emergency Plan this morning, as the rising water levels along many streams and rivers in southern Alberta are expected to affect the city later today, and the situation could get worse as heavy rainfall continues throughout today, tonight and into Friday.
Communities in Calgary along the Bow and Elbow Rivers, including Mission, Elbow Park, Stanley Park, Roxboro, Rideau and Discovery Ridge, have been evacuated, with new evacuations ordered for Sunnyside, Bowness-1, Bowness-2, East Village-Inglewood, Inglewood, Montgomery, Westmount and Bonnybrook.
According to the notice: "Residents are encouraged to find shelter with family or friends for the next 72 hours minimum. Reception centres have been set up for residents who cannot find alternate accommodations."
A flash flood warning has been issued for Lethbridge County, due to "threat of extremely dangerous and rapid flooding", with an evacuation order being issued for all residents of the Oldman River valley.
This follows states of emergency that have been called in several smaller communities in the southern part of the province, as waters accumulating in rivers and streams from the heavy rain that has been falling since yesterday began to force those rivers and streams to overflow their banks.

Most roads still remain open, however several sections of local highways have been closed due to the flooding. This includes Highway 1A running through Canmore from Banff to Morley, Highway 93 between Banff and Jasper, a section of Highway 40 from Galatea to Highway 1, Highway 66 from Hwy 22 to Elbow Falls Winter Closure Gate, and part of Highway 22 through Chain Lakes National Park (from Hwy 533 to Hwy 520).

Canmore

The town of Canmore, Alberta, along the Trans-Canada Highway, about 100 km west of Calgary, declared a state of local emergency early this morning as the Cougar Creek overflowed its banks, prompting officials to close the Trans-Canada Highway through the town, as well as several local roads and a pedestrian bridge, and evacuate many residents living close to the creek to the Elevation Place community centre. Power outages have been reported in the town, as well as sewage seepage into many basements.Read the full story here and more here.