'Higher than normal' flow rate on Calgary rivers, city says
The risk of flooding in Calgary this year is considered "normal," officials said Monday, but cautioned that forecasts could "change dramatically."
The City of Calgary says its flood preparations are complete ahead of the 2023 flood season, which began on Monday.
"The 24/7 monitoring of river conditions, weather forecasts and the melting mountain snowpack is well underway," officials said in a statement.
According to recent measurements, there are higher than average river flows, influenced by recent rains and an early melting snowpack.
That melt resulted in a "below average" amount of snow in the alpine regions, officials said.
Sandy Davis, Calgary's river engineering team lead, says that doesn't mean the situation is safe, adding that conditions and forecasts may shift at any time.
"This is why we prepare for flood season each year. As outlooks change, we're ready to respond to keep Calgarians safe and protect critical infrastructure, vital community services, the environment and our economy," Davis said.
FLOOD MITIGATION IMPROVED
As the city is heading toward the 10th anniversary of the 2013 flood, officials say much work has gone into preventative measures and Calgary is a lot more flood resilient than it once was.
Current projects have reduced Calgary's flood risk by 55 per cent and many more projects – such as the Sunnyside flood barrier and Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir – are still being built.
Once those are complete, it's expected the city will have a 70 per cent lower risk of flooding.
More information, including advice on how to protect your home from flooding, can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.