Off the hook for residential, but for commercial the hit will be massive (but of course they re-insure anyway, so it will be spread widely).
Holy shitballs, that’s a lot of water!
Cat Whisperer is out and about taking pictures of the spectacle right now and tells me that a significant portion of the Sunnyside neighbourhood (just to the north of the downtown core) is under water.
Meanwhile, it is pissing down rain here at the U of C. Stupid weather!
Meanwhile further east officials are cracking open the floodgates at the Gardiner Dam in a “strategic release,” doubling the downstream flow. Even with the increased outflow, Diefenbaker Lake is expected to rise 2-4m when the floodwaters arrive. When you figure the lake is 250km long, that’s a lot of water.
Tell her to be careful. The news showed people on the lower deck of the Centre Street bridge, while the river was nearly slopping over. The announcer was saying that it was a dangerous place, and that people are getting to places where they really shouldn’t be, due to the danger.
And even further east some ww paddlers are debating whether they should make the big drive across flatland to paddle the floods. (The debate being if it is far too crass and insensitive at this time due to so many people who have been flooded out.)
Imagine if the Flames were in the Finals… Almost got that out with a straight face.
There is that, but there is also what a local kayaker was saying on the news: don’t.
The reason is that it’s not just water that is flowing. There are uprooted trees, logs, and all kinds of other crud that the rivers have swept away. If it was just water flowing, a kayaker could have a good time. But with all that extra stuff in the water, the kayaker on the news said that it’s too dangerous.
They just had an item on what the news reporter in downtown Calgary has seen floating by: suitcases, children’s toys, garden tools, and even a dumpster. The impression is that if it’s not tied down and the river gets to it, it’s gone. And sometimes even if it is tied down: the camera showed a mature tree being uprooted and swept away by the river.
Probably best for your friends to stay away, Muffin. Local authorities seem to be having enough problems keeping rubberneckers away from the river; they probably would freak if kayakers showed up.
In other news, the army has been called in to help. They are in Canmore.
It’s still pouring here in the SW. Not thinking, I headed out at 10 to do my grocery shopping. I waited in line to pay for over an hour, (the line stretched the entire perimeter of the West Springs COOP) along with a whole pile of other patient people. Didn’t have anything else to do - and no kids with me, so I figured I’d get it done.
Nothing else to do now but watch the rain, watch the tv and feel vaguely ill. My poor city.
The rest of Canada is thinking of you, Calgary. Stay safe and stay strong.
Hope everyone gets through the floods OK. I’m grateful and slightly amazed that there haven’t been any fatalities or major injuries. I truly hope it stays that way.
I noticed the military Support Sqn here is gearing up so I suspect they are headed down to help.
Here is raw helicopter video of downtown Calgary: http://globalnews.ca/video/661728/raw-video-downtown-calgary-flooding/
I’m back! It was mind-boggling; I walked past my old apartment building in Sunnyside, and the water was in the road a block away. The east end of Sunnyside is pretty much all under water.
It rained heavily the whole time I was out (for a couple of hours) - exactly what we don’t need right now. After a while I just gave up on staying dry and just started wading (carefully!). I didn’t feel like I got too close to the danger zones, but I suppose that’s what everyone thinks (as they get swept away).
We’re hearing reports of up to five people may be dead (four in High River and the lady who was swept off her trailer has not been found yet either). 
We just got back from fuelling up and stopped at the Dalhousie Coop and Safeway and the lines were the same. No water at either place nor at the Canadian Tire.
I doubt there is bottled water anywhere. We have about four flats in the basement at any given time (Mom likes to keep it on hand, just in case) so we are ok there but I was amazed by the lines at the grocery store when all I needed was a little milk and veg. I didn’t go in to work today, puttering about online (logged in at work though from home) and just keeping an eye on the twitter feed rolling past and off and on playing CBC who is broadcasting from SAIT campus today.
Glad I didn’t go in, my way home has been closed off because I pass from a high to a high area but via a valley. My friend did go in to work today, then she made it home 3 hours after she left work.
Just with regards to the water situation: After having spent large parts of the last three years overseeing safety on major renovation projects to both the Glenmore and Bearspaw Water Treatment Plants, I can say with a fair degree of confidence that they should be able to continue to provide drinkable water for an extended period of time in the city. The upgrades we did should allow Calgary Waterworks to supply water for close to 2 million people. Processing will be much slower right now to clear out all the turbidity, but demand will also be way down, what with nobody out there watering their lawns.
So I’m not expecting a boil order any time soon, nor am I worried about having to stock up on bottled water.
Just wanted to put some minds at ease. 
Some more pictures from today:
Sunnyside school - water bubbling up from the manhole cover into the flooded street.
The evacuation notice on my old apartment building in Sunnyside.
The water in the street half a block away from my old apt.
Big pumps trying to keep the water out of Sunnyside (and failing).
Water coming over the berm into Sunnyside. I never thought the water would get high enough to get over that berm, but it’s happening now.
Louise Street bridge (10th. Street NW.)
The new War Memorial terrace at the War Memorial Park at the corner of 10th and Memorial, NW.
Wow, great pictures. That one of the berm is pretty shocking. Stay safe!
Good to know. Personally, I’m not that worried either but my Mom is the ultimate worrywart and would have us prepped for anything from a hurricane and earthquake to a tornado or blizzard..
Spoons, are you evacuating?