Floods in southern Alberta have caused such devastation that hundreds of provincial and federal personnel have potential in to help.
RCMP, sheriffs, fish and wildlife officers, search and rescue teams, commercial vehicle inspectors and the Canadian Armed Forces came in from around the province to assist in the emergency. Members of the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Section were called to help in High River and despite 19-hour shifts, were proud to help.
Sgt. Nathan Kardish was there from June 21 to 24 and was sent back June 27. Personnel had to search homes for people and their pets. “It was very stressful,” said Kardish.
He did not know what to expect but found the streets were covered in slick mud and debris could be found everywhere. Despite the chaos, crews worked diligently and with purpose. They were able to rescue pets and tried to secure homes as well.
“I’ve been to war zones that looked in better shape,” said Kardish.
One minivan was found in the middle of a farmer’s field after heavy water flow pushed it there. Another SUV was found in the ditch but the owner had parked it some distance away. The destruction was very apparent. Photos brought back by Kardish and RCMP Const. Chris Noble show roads washed out, railway tracks twisted into a corkscrew and water 10 feet deep in some places.
Although Noble had no idea what to experience, victims’ attitudes left a lasting impression. High River looked like a lake when he first arrived and he had to assess the neighbourhoods to get a grasp of the flooding. “You hold your hand to your neck and try to picture that water everywhere and see nothing but that.”
“Everything that was on the prairies and the rivers was swept into the community,” added Noble.
He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts on how people reacted to their presence. Victims were grateful and did their best to ensure officers were fed and had a place to stay. To keep people safe and have a handle on the situation, only emergency personnel or contractors were allowed to go into affected areas and officers had to keep people from entering. Despite that many people understood the importance of the situation.
Flood victims who had lost their personal belongings wanted to assist officers by providing nourishment during their shifts. Seeing such resilience and care from people in High River touched Noble.
“These are people who have lost everything and they come up and say, ‘Here would you like a pizza,’” explained Noble.
The armed forces have since left the town but more than 180 RCMP officers remain to ensure High River is secure and people’s belongings are as safe as can be. Noble, Kardish and other officers have again been sent back to the area to assist. This has left Ponoka RCMP busier but most of the communities around the province had officers leaving to help.
As the full impact of the floods unfolds, the Alberta Government is working to mitigate issues. Victims have access to prepaid debit cards to help and the Alberta Red Cross has a link on their website for donations: http://www.redcross.ca/donate/donate-online/donate-to-the-albertafloods or a person can call 1-800-418-1111.