Wildfire, rain and snow: Alberta communities grapple with flooding after storms

Days after wildfire evacuation orders were lifted for residents of Edson and Yellowhead County in west-central Alberta, flooding triggered by battering rain is forcing some residents out of their homes again.

Residents of the town and parts of the county have been forced out twice recently due to the threat of encroaching wildfires. But heavy rains that allowed wildfire evacuation orders to lift last week have now triggered a new emergency. 

The county and the town have both declared states of local emergency due to flooding. People in affected areas are being told to avoid washed-out roads, to prepare for power outages and to stay away from downed power lines.

As rivers began to overflow their banks Monday, people who live in Lower Robb were ordered to leave their homes. The hamlet of Robb is about 60 kilometres southwest of Edson.

On Tuesday morning, a shelter-in-place order was issued for residents in southern parts of Peers, a hamlet 40 km northeast of Edson, due to a bridge that had been damaged by flooding. 

Yellowhead County is among a growing number of Alberta communities contending with flooding after heavy rains and some snow following weeks of dry heat. 

Whitecourt declares emergency

As of midday Tuesday, rivers and creeks continue to overrun their banks, threatening homes and infrastructure.

In Whitecourt, about 100 kilometres northeast of Edson, rising water levels have triggered evacuation orders, road closures and concerns about flood damage.

The town declared a state of local emergency due to flooding. Some people who live in riverfront properties, including the Westview Mobile Village and Sagitawah RV Park, have been ordered to leave.

Flood watches remain in place for the McLeod River and Athabasca River at Whitecourt. Water levels on the two rivers are expected to peak Tuesday evening, putting low-lying areas of Whitecourt at risk.

Jasper National Park has also been hit hard by recent rain and snow, resulting in road and trail closures and treacherous conditions. In a statement Monday officials said 100 mm of rain and 55 centimetres of snow had fallen in some locations and Maligne and Miette roads have been closed.

Park officials said crews had brought 60 people to safety, including hikers on the Skyline trail, paddlers on Maligne Lake and two tour buses full of passengers from Maligne Road.

In Edson, home to around 8,000 people, rain fell through the night into Tuesday morning. Between five and 10 millimetres is expected to fall in the town Tuesday. 

Mayor Kevin Zahara said there is extensive flooding in the town. Roads have washed out and homes and businesses are flooded.

Some residents forced to evacuate by fire just returned home to find their properties inundated by water, Zahara said.

Town crews, already exhausted by the wildfire crisis, were still working to restore essential services when floodwaters began to rise over the weekend, he said. 

"This is a lot to deal with," he said in an interview Monday afternoon.  "We'll get through it. We're strong, resilient people but I think it's going to be a difficult few days."

Declaring a state of emergency will help the community better respond to the flooding, Zahara said. He said the town is seeking additional assistance from surrounding municipalities and is in talks with the province about financial aid for residents.

"We felt that all of our resources were deployed and the situation was getting worse. Our staff are tired from the last couple weeks of emergency," he said. 

"They're doing everything they can … but we need more resources." 

Fire, rain ... and a bear

In update to residents Tuesday afternoon, Zahara said he wanted to share some levity with residents during an incredibly stressful time.

He said downed phone lines had temporarily left the town office without phone service, hampering communication with residents during the first few hours of flooding.

"I'm not making this up, folks, it was caused by a bear that ran up a pole and took down some lines," Zahara said. "So if you think anything can get weirder in this whole scheme of events, I don't think we can make up any weirder stories than that." 

Christine Beveridge, Edson's chief administrative officer, said 135 mm of rain has fallen on the town over the past week in what she characterized as a one-in-50-year storm.

She said when the flood waters recede, the wildfire will again become the focus of local emergency officials.

"Right now, the flood is our main issue, it doesn't take away that we will have a fire issue."

'From one extreme to the next'

Residents were ordered to leave Edson on June 9 as a fire grew close to the town's southern boundary. Evacuation orders were lifted last Thursday as heavy rains helped firefighters make headway on the fire.

Kandice Code returned Sunday to the Edson home she has lived in for more than four decades. She woke up Monday to find water flowing through the basement. The sight brought her to tears.

She spent the day bailing out flooded rooms and bagging up waterlogged clothing and keepsakes.

"How can this be happening, after just being evacuated from fires? From one extreme to the next," she said.

"I feel bad for all the residents of Edson that have to go through this. We did just get back and now we're dealing with a whole new situation." 

Luc Mercier, Yellowhead County's chief administrative officer, said flooding has been reported across the county. Rivers are high and barricades are being erected to protect homes.

Mercier warned people not to drive over roads covered with water because they could be washed out.

South of Cadomin, Highway 40 is closed and power has been knocked out by snow storms that hit some western parts of the county over the weekend, damaging transmission lines.

Yellowhead County Mayor Wade Williams said he couldn't believe how quickly the crisis facing the community had altered course. 

"Just three days from total wildfires, we're talking about floods, we're taking about power lines being knocked down by snow storms," he said.

"People, let's just be safe … I can't even believe what's going on. I don't even have the words."