sad story out of Calgary tonight

[BGSH]

severe thunderstorm claims a life in Calgary tonight

At approximately 6:31 pm on August 5, 2011, EMS were dispatched to the 4600 block of 4 Street NW for a possible drowning. Passerbys observed a male , approximately 60 yrs old, swept under a car from extreme water levels due to the severe storm. Passerbys attempted to assist the victim but were unsuccessful. EMS transported the victim to the Foothills Hopsital where he was later pronounced dead.

[TreeGuy]

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=newssearch&cd=1&ved=0CCoQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.calgaryherald.com%2Fnews%2FCa lgary%2Bdrowning%2Bstorm%2Brelated%2F5214432%2Fsto ry.html%3Fcid%3Dmegadrop_story&ei=Rb48Tva_AoPjiAKhhODDBg&usg=AFQjCNFVFSMu4Sc87LlEj2raFG5cvmpYPA

Sad indeed.

[chubbdarter]

Very sad....prayers for the family, rest in peace.

[horsetrader]

condolences and prayers to the family

[slivers86]

wow, at first you think it couldn't be true. Thoughts and prayers with family.

You wonder, does the city do anything when they notice BADLY backed up areas that don't drain during monsoon style rains? We all know some bad spots. Could this have been prevented?

[TreeGuy]

wow, at first you think it couldn't be true. Thoughts and prayers with family.

You wonder, does the city do anything when they notice BADLY backed up areas that don't drain during monsoon style rains? We all know some bad spots. Could this have been prevented?

Prevention was unlikely. While certain areas can be prone to backups, it is generally impossible to predict where debris will accumulate enough to block drains during intense events like we witnessed this afternoon.

Condolances sent from this crew as well.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Sad to hear... Nature can be brutal

[BGSH]

i think citys in tornado alley like Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary should have a backup plan in place but clearly these citys dont

[TreeGuy]

i think citys in tornado alley like Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary should have a backup plan in place but clearly these citys dont

So what would you do smart guy?

[BGSH]

just saying, big bigger drainage systems in citys with heavy rainfall and snowfall?

[BGSH]

either way a sad day for sure, condolances to the family, and yes i guess you just cant stop mother nature

[Albertadiver]

just saying, big bigger drainage systems in citys with heavy rainfall and snowfall?

I know a thing or two about site drainage and storm systems.

It's a horrible thing that happened tonight.

That being said, storm systems are designed to regulate the flow into the city system at a rate that attempts to not overwhelm the system. Problem is, in a downpour like this, it is imposible to contain everything on a site and allow the flow out at a lesser rate. Also, we have old infrastructure from the 40's and 50's in some of the older areas. They get upgraded a bit from time to time, but that takes a lot of time and money.

Ever notice new subdivisions with big soccer and baseball fields in sunken fields? Those are called dry ponds, designed to fill with storm water when events like these happen.

The calculations that go into a 1:100 year flood event and storm retainage are pretty complex.

In short, it's a horrible thing that happened, but you can't blame the city for a storm that hasn't happened like this in many many years.

[BGSH]

yea i guess so, thanks for that info, just a sad night from that one big storm that hit the north side of Calgary tonight

[Alberta Bigbore]

Also, we have old infrastructure from the 40's and 50's in some of the older areas. They get upgraded a bit from time to time, but that takes a lot of time and money.



like the money going to the 2012 Calgary Stampede?

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Province+announce+funding+Calgary+Stampede+centenn ial/5098284/story.html

[FishingMOM]

The gentleman went outside to move his vehicle because he saw water upto his knees. He slipped and fell, and was swept under the back end of his minivan.
Witnesses saw him go down and did all they could, including picking up the van and setting a rear wheel on the curb which allowed his rescuers pull him out. He wasnt able to be saved.

Per Global news.

[BGSH]

Fishingmom did you see the storm

[FishingMOM]

Fishingmom did you see the storm

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=100567
:thinking-006:

[CaberTosser]

Diver's right, you can't blame this one on any level of government. We could install stormwater systems to deal with the worst storms in 500 years and then some, but they would cost $250 billion or something similarly absurd, where the money is much better spent elsewhere benefitting far more people. Nature can always throw us a curve ball. Buddy experienced that in a bad way tonight, condolences to his friends and family.

[BGSH]

thx fishingmom, thats unbeilevable

[Emo]

There was also hail with this storm this afternoon (at least the part of the city I was in)... it doesn't take long for hail to block a sewer grate and water to back up. Not sure if that is what happened here but that is the case a lot of times in Calgary with summer storms.

[32-40win]

Somewhere in the late 80's, I lived over on 15a st & 36th ave sw, big hailstorm happened, there was a guy out front in a canoe, think that made the paper.
Wasn't the first time it got flooded in that spot, but this one was about 5-6ft deep. Flooded two ground floors in apt blocks and two, maybe 3 houses.
That area drained to that spot from Crowchild in the west along 33rd ave and 38th ave.
The next year, they put in a 36" storm sewer over to the raveen off the end of 14th st from that spot.
That looked like a flooded creek behind my place that day, a lot of water and hail coming in there, it was spooky. It was a good foot deep and split around the NW corner of the lot my apt block was on, owner built it up some more a few years later.

[TheKi]

RIP sad day in calgary :(

[FishingMOM]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/08/06/calgary-storm-death.html

some pictures from the storm.

[BGSH]

Edmonton had a huge storm at 3:33 am in the mourning, what a storm that was

[Gust]

just turned to the weather channel and red deer is about to get hhammered,,, be safe

[Almer Fudd]

I recall a fatality about 33 years ago near John Laurie Blvd where a man was sucked into a storm sewer and drowned.

Very sad situations and my condolences to the friends and family.

[FishingMOM]

Victim identified as

Richard youlman(sp)

As per global.

He is survived by 2 grown children.