Trans Canada Hiway washed out

[friesman]

After a record setting spring for cool weather and rainfall we had a heavy rainfall last night and the rain has nowhere to go because we live on such a wide flat plain. The TransCanada hiway has been closed, forcing people to take a 200 km detour. They are actually evacuating a couple of smaller towns and their hospitals.

I would recommend you avoid Southestern Alberta and SouthWestern Saskatchewan for the next couple of days. I will keep you posted when traffic will start flowing normally again.

 

http://www.leaderpost.com/State+emergency+declared+Maple+Creek+after+reports+flood+waters+heading+towards+town/3171973/story.html

 

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/06/18/sk-flooding-1006.html

Brian

[Eugene]

Oh Oh - don't send that stuff over here....

[friesman]

It looks like there is water everywhere in the Maple Creek SK. to Medicine Hat AB. area. Its deceving because its so flat out here. the water doesnt have any deep channels, but when it gets to a restriction like a hiway its just goes over top and washes out. There are 100's of houses flooded and some were washed away, but in slow motion. here is a clip of a small part of the Trans Canada outside of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan (and Ive never even really seen the creek flow there...lol)

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6TIGApo1Iw]YouTube- Maple Creek flood 2010 Trans Canada Highway dissapears[/ame]

 

THe Highways dept is projecting a year or more to get all the breaches fixed up and back to normal because of the sheer size of the flood plain. Its said this was a once in 500 year event.

 

I guess its going to be even more fun getting to Nelson BC now...

 

Brian

[Guest Swifty]

Another one for global warming...

Appreciate the info, Freisman. I might need to keep that in mind.

[sarges46]

Amazing video Brian...thanks for posting it. That is something...funny thing is that is the area Marilyn and I have been looking at to retire to. Lets make sure we find a house on high ground if thats possible.

[massey130]

Amazing video Brian...thanks for posting it. That is something...funny thing is that is the area Marilyn and I have been looking at to retire to. Lets make sure we find a house on high ground if thats possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~

we live in the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana in rice country. we put our house up with 2 footers for each pier, each footer is 3" thick, then the 36" piers set on those. Thank the good Lord we have not had to use that space for water, but when the hundred year flood comes, we will be close to high and dry. it is nice working under there with such a large crawl space.

 

You might consider raising the house you choose to retire in.

[friesman]

it looks like the TransCanada will be reopened on Friday to just one lane of traffic going in each direction. There will be 90 degree corners and lots of sand and gravel but they have a big highways crew in the area to get the road reopened. Even the Canadian Pacific Rail line got washed out at Medicine Hat AB.

 

Here are some pics for todays paper

 

http://www.leaderpost.com/Gallery+Flood+Maple+Creek/3181299/story.html

http://www.leaderpost.com/Gallery+More+reader+photos+flood+around+Maple+Creek/3181483/story.html

[sarges46]

Wow....what can one say.....I hope everything works out for the folks hard hit.