Military on way to alberta to help

[FishingMOM]

Responding to an appeal from the RCMP, the Canadian Forces had deployed 1,200 soldiers and nine aircraft in all to help with emergency efforts. The aircraft include two helicopters that helped rescue those stranded in areas where roads had been washed out. The choppers plucked about 31 people off rooftops. Six other helicopters and heavy-lift aircraft have been put at the service of police and emergency management officials.

For the tens of thousands of southern Albertans, it was a time of volunteer sandbagging, people being moved by farm equipment and trucks, deserted downtown streets and seniors with walkers crowding the hallways at an ad-hoc reception centre at the Canada Olympic Park.

Flash-floods swept across Calgary before dawn as rising river waters cut off the downtown business district and poured into neighbourhoods where 75,000 have been told to evacuate.

“Avoid downtown travel,” Mr. Nenshi told media in the early morning. “Avoid all travel that is not absolutely necessary.”

Casualties and damage

While no fatalities were reported in Calgary, some people are missing near High River, a town 35 kilometres to the south.
The RCMP were investigating report of two bodies in the water there, according to The Canadian Press
Two men are missing after their canoe tipped and, in another incident, police are looking for a woman who disappeared after her trailer home was swept by the flash flood near Black Diamond, the RCMP said.
Many homeowners will find that the damage done by floodwaters is not covered by their insurance. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that water which comes through in doors and windows — called “overland flooding” — is not covered by most policies.

How to help

The Red Cross is accepting donations on-line and at 1-800-418-1111 to help Alberta flood victims.

What’s next

“We don’t yet know the full scale of what is happening,” Ms. Redford cautioned. Communities around Calgary have “not yet felt the full force of the floods,” she said
Evacuation orders could last 72 hours, Mr. Nenshi said.
Mr. Nenshi urged citizens to sleep – “Make Friday a family day – to conserve energy in case more hands are needed later.”

The scene in Calgary

Portions of 25 neighbourhoods lining the Bow and Elbow rivers have been evacuated.
Calgary residents have invited friends, family, and strangers to stay at their homes, Mr. Nenshi said. This is helping to ease pressure on the city’s emergency shelters.
The downtown is severely affected, with only one street open to the business centre heart of Alberta’s largest city. Officials wanted all but essential employees to stay off this street in order to keep the roadway clear for emergency vehicles.
Seventeen bridges and 20 major roads are closed.
Traffic lights in downtown Calgary were not working, mud-brown water was flooding the Saddledome arena and the Stampede grounds, and the Calgary Zoo had to relocate some animals, though its big cats were not moved to the courthouse, as some media outlets had reported.
The Calgary Board of Education announced that all schools were closed.
Both of the city’s water treatment plants were running properly, meaning the Calgary’s drinking water is safe.
Mr. Nenshi praised police officers and volunteers who had worked 18 to 20 hours.
Even though, the Calgary Stampeded is set to begin only in two weeks, Mr. Nenshi said he hoped the event would go ahead. “We’re Calgarians, we’ll make it work.”

Across Alberta

More than a dozen towns declared states of emergency, with entire communities including High River and Bragg Creek under mandatory evacuation orders.
Thousands of others in communities across southern Alberta are under emergency management, including evacuations.
The Alberta Emergency Alert system has issued multiple critical alerts — the most severe alert, indicating an imminent life threatening danger. Critical flash flood alerts have been issued for High River, while critical overland flood and high water level warnings issued for Calgary and Bragg Creek remain in effect.
Residents in Harvie Heights, Cougar Creek, Elk Run and Kananaskis residents are told boil water before drinking.
High River Hospital was not accessible by road and the emergency department was closed, though patients currently at the hospital remained there. Calgary’s Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre was closed, while the Holy Cross hospital was under an evacuation order.

The water systems

Heavy and steady rains combined with seasonal snow-melt have pushed rivers over their banks.

The Elbow River through Calgary was flowing at 650 cubic metres per second, the highest ever, but might have peaked, the mayor said. “The good news is that is slowly decreasing.”
The Bow River basin, including Banff, Canmore, the Foothills region, Calgary, High River and beyond.
The North Saskatchewan River basin, where warnings of high waters now include the City of Edmonton.
The Athabasca River basin, where Fort McMurray has experienced extensive flooding.

[megadodge]

Looks like the army was headed down in a big way this morning. I saw around 20 military vehicles headed down hwy 2 this morning strapped with gear and Zodiacs.


Looks like you southerners need all the help you can get. Good luck and stay safe!

[ren008]

Wonder if DND will be sending the province out a bill for services like they said they would start doing back in Jan for disaster relief??

[backpacker]

Was just coming back to Penhold and there were a bunch of our fine young men and women and all their gear headed south. Here in Canada we don't see our forces out and about and it made me proud of each and everyone of them that has stepped up to serve our country.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by ren008

Wonder if DND will be sending the province out a bill for services like they said they would start doing back in Jan for disaster relief??

They got bugged out this morning.
I'm here because I'm undeployable right now... sorry.
I feel so damn left out.

The way this works (usually) is that the province is billled.
But... the PM will usually sort of forgive or defer that debt by taking it out of whatever relief monies they dole out.
That sounds sort of like the same thing but... consider this... the relief monies would likely be less if the butchers bill for the millitary wasn't part of it anyway.

The up side is that you will have a self sufficient and organized labour pool that will work until they drop or until the job is done... whichever comes first.
Honestly... helping people... especially Canadians is its own reward and it is a huge motivator. It just feels so good. Guys will work themselves into a coma if they have to.

I don't think I saw the inside of my eyelids for the 3 or 4 days in 97 and I don't belive that I got more than 3 or 4 hours of unbroken sleep for the first couple weeks.
3 months of 12 and 16 hour days.
Fill sandbags, drink water, eat, sleep for a couple hours...repeat.

One thing that helped was the volunteers from communities.
The ladies organized and they pushed sandwiches, coffee and drinks out to us faster than our own could.

This meant that we didn't have to stop or leave for our kitchens or make ration runs.
We could just huck a sandwich down our necks, down some water or whatever and keep moving.
One advantage this time is that they will probably be able to get some heavy equipment there sooner and we have more of it now than before.
Also... more armoured Ambulances etc to traverse crappy roads and washouts.
Another is that 97 was a new thing for us all... by now most members have done this a few times and as a result have become pretty good at anticipating needs and at building berms.

Hopefully the engineers will also have some bridgeworks at hand as well.

Good luck everyone.

[greylynx]

Big line of trucks going down the Calgary Trail. Should be arriving about now.

It is good to see our tax money being used for really important things.

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Big line of trucks going down the Calgary Trail. Should be arriving about now.

It is good to see our tax money being used for really important things.

A was chatting with a bunch of the guys about 4-5 hours ago out on Hwy 1 & 22, rolling out to K country!

[Hogie135]

I, along with a lot of my co workers just worked 10-12 hour day fixing aircraft to send down there. It was our day off to boot. Not one of us complained. Our job is to help out Canadians when needed and as Pesky, errr I mean big daddy badger said, it's a huge motivator knowing that we are actually helping.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by Hogie135

I, along with a lot of my co workers just worked 10-12 hour day fixing aircraft to send down there. It was our day off to boot. Not one of us complained. Our job is to help out Canadians when needed and as Pesky, errr I mean big daddy badger said, it's a huge motivator knowing that we are actually helping.

good on you guys and gals...and thanks!!!!

[greylynx]

Originally Posted by Hogie135

I, along with a lot of my co workers just worked 10-12 hour day fixing aircraft to send down there. It was our day off to boot. Not one of us complained. Our job is to help out Canadians when needed and as Pesky, errr I mean big daddy badger said, it's a huge motivator knowing that we are actually helping.

Hogie:

You and the folks you work with are always helping. Please remember that.

Thank you.

[schmedlap]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Hogie:

You and the folks you work with are always helping. Please remember that.

Thank you.

x2. Thank you.

[happy honker]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Hogie:

You and the folks you work with are always helping. Please remember that.

Thank you.

Well said greylynx.

I was headed north on highway 2 this afternoon, and I had no idea we had that many of those 8 wheeled armoured vehicles...must have seen 60 of em, and at least 100 trucks headed south.
Be safe, and thanks.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by happy honker

Well said greylynx.

I was headed north on highway 2 this afternoon, and I had no idea we had that many of those 8 wheeled armoured vehicles...must have seen 60 of em, and at least 100 trucks headed south.
Be safe, and thanks.

Thats no where near what it takes for troop lift and support of 1200 pers...I would imagine that if more are needed they'll deploy battalion assets from Shilo and borrow from Wainwright.

This happened pretty fast... unlike the more predictable floods in Manitoba.

I doubt that a staff check or contingency planning had been done in advance like it is if there is any hint of trouble coming.
A big chunk of the base just came back from exeercise and there will be some maintenace required and some restocking to be done.
Right now folks are probably playing catch-up a bit.

Thats why Hogie was working today.

If they had been anticipating... he would have been working last weekend.

Glad they managed to roll out a Vanguard poco tempo though.

[trooper]

Wish I was young enough to serve again.

[CheeseBurger]

Thanks Hogie and to all those that are serving and have served!

[Mr Conservation]

Originally Posted by CheeseBurger

Thanks Hogie and to all those that are serving and have served!

x 2

The efforts of our men and women in uniform will be a great help dealing with, and recovering from this disaster.


Mr Conservation

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Hogie:

You and the folks you work with are always helping. Please remember that.

Thank you.

x 10 Thanks to the men and women who serve our country everyday.

As said before stay safe

[dumoulin]

Just drove back from Red Deer and saw three convoys. Very cool stuff! Gave all the boys and girls a big thumbs up driving by!

[Big Daddy Badger]

When we were inj Manotoba in 97... people... women specifically... displayed more than a waving hand.

Just sayin...

[hal53]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Badger

When we were inj Manotoba in 97... people... women specifically... displayed more than a waving hand.

Just sayin...

hahahaha!..on an unrelated note, at the Wainwright Stampede parade today , it was nice to see the Legion Float and the CFB Wainwright stuff get applause and salutes from all ages.....and FM, your title is somewhat mis- leading the troops are coming from Edmonton, I believe....

[kjun]

Why are the "big gun" vehicles headed south???? ...saw about 20 in Red Deer south yesterday.

R.

[emesoldier887]

In wainwright we are sending equipment , Im working all today getting a refueler up and running for for the flood,

hal53 i agree with you i was driving one of the wreckers in the parade it was amazing to see how many hats were removed and how many people applauded.

[savage shooter]

Originally Posted by kjun

Why are the "big gun" vehicles headed south???? ...saw about 20 in Red Deer south yesterday.

R.

Many reasons none of which are related to their guns.

They can traverse any terrain and are amphibious.