Albertans face more rain today after awaking to the worst flooding in decades, which has caused evacuations in Calgary and throughout southern areas of the province.
The swollen Bow and Elbow rivers carried water fast and furious through Calgary and towns such as Canmore, High River, Black Diamond and Turner Valley.
Both rivers were believed to have crested in the Calgary area by about 6 a.m. MT.
"That is not to say there won't be some secondary surges," the CBC's Meghan Grant reported from Calgary's Emergency Operations Centre at about 7 a.m. Much depends on the weather.
Rain was forecast to continue for the next 12 hours.
Numerous Calgary neighbourhoods have been evacuated, with an estimated 75,000 people affected.
While not as intense as Thursday, more rain was forecast for Friday, with an additional 15-30 mm possible, said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.
"The greatest amounts were expected west of Calgary and just north of Canmore, and an additional five to 10 mm tonight through Saturday morning," he said. "Showers also remain in the forecast this weekend."
Mudslides forced the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway, isolating the mountain resort towns of Banff and Canmore.
Alberta Health Services issued a boil-water order for specific parts of Canmore on Friday morning. Residents and businesses in parts of Cougar Creek east of the creek were told to bring water to a full boil for one minute before any consumption.​ At about 4:30 a.m. MT, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi tweeted: "We think the Elbow is now at peak. But peak could last a while. Bow still has about 30-35% more flow, expected in next couple of hours."
  • High River flooding
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Communities were hit hard just south of Calgary, a city of more than a million people that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Earlier reports that Calgary Zoo's big cats had been taken to the city's courthouse for their safety were contradicted by police tweets. The zoo normally houses four such species, according to its website: lions, tigers, snow leopards and cougars.

Rainfall totals as of 6 p.m. MT

  • Livingstone: 154.0 mm
  • Bow Valley: 138.2 mm
  • Nordegg: 123.1 mm
  • Crowsnest: 91.4 mm
  • Brocket: 83.2 mm
  • Claresholm: 74.6 mm
  • Black Diamond: 89.3 mm
  • Lethbridge: 73.9 mm
  • Sundre: 80.8 mm
  • Banff: 63.9 mm
  • Pincher Creek: 57.8 mm
  • Calgary International Airport: 41.4 mm
Many downtown neighbourhoods were ordered evacuated as Thursday evening went on. Officials said the evacuation would take place in stages over the next few days. The province reported that 12 communities were under states of emergency.
In a 3 a.m. briefing, Nenshi praised "the incredible calm and orderly way in which we are managing this, both citizens and public servants." He said some police officers had been on the job for 20 hours at that point, helping with evacuations.
Still, it has been a shock: "I grew up here, I spent a lot of time on the Bow and Elbow rivers, and I have never seen the river that high and that fast," Nenshi said.
Calgary officials expanded evacuation orders and opened more emergency shelters Thursday night. The evacuation orders have grown to cover parts of at least 25 neighbourhoods.
All Calgary public and Catholic schools are closed Friday.
Many neighbourhoods are shut even to local traffic. The only movement allowed is people heading out of the area, the city says.
"Everyone's safety is much more important than anything else that might be going on on a Friday."
Mike Crawford, who lives in Calgary, said he had to leave his home just after noon Thursday.

View a map of the evacuated areas"I'm not really sure what I'm going to be walking into tomorrow or the next day," he told CBC's Ian Hanomansing
The evacuation orders cover the communities of Beltline, Bonnybrook, Bowness, Bridgeland Industrial Area, Chinatown, Eau Claire, Cliff Bungalow, Deer Run, Discovery Ridge, Downtown, East Village, Elbow Park, Erlton, Inglewood, Hillhurst, Mission, Montgomery, Quarry Park, Rideau, Riverbend, Riverdale, Roxboro, Stanley Park, Elboya, Sunnyside, Victoria Park, Westmount and Windsor Park.

MAJOR FLOODING A map of Canada's biggest floods in the last decade

CBC's Calgary station was also in the evacuation zone. Staff were putting together a morning radio show from a temporary headquarters at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and it was to be broadcast to the whole province with the help of CBC Edmonton.
Reporters and producers — many of whom spent the night being evacuated from their own homes — were deployed throughout the southern half of the province.
In Bowness, CBC's Kristina Barnes said water levels were high, nearing the top of the bridge. Police were driving along the bridge with a loudspeaker, urging people to stay away.
In Calgary, residents are encouraged to find shelter with family or friends for at least 72 hours. Reception at Southland Leisure Centre and Acadia Recreation Complex centres have been set up for residents who cannot find alternate accommodations.
You can find information from the City of Calgary here.

Reception centres

  • Reception centres are located at Southland Leisure Centre and Acadia Recreation Complex.
  • People should bring identification, prescription medications and other critical personal items with them.
  • Calgary Transit and Access Calgary are on standby to help residents who cannot leave on their own.
  • Those requiring assistance are asked to identify themselves to emergency responders going door to door.

Red Cross contact

The City of Calgary says people unable to reach family members who live in areas that have been evacuated can contact the Red Cross in Calgary by phone at: 403-541-6100. People with general or donation inquiries are asked to contact the Red Cross at: WeCare@redcross.ca or 1-800-418-1111.

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Flooded Alberta faces more rain as rivers crest