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Parts of Calgary are on a flood plain. But still...

The bulk of evacuations for up to 100,000 people living in low-lying areas were expected to be completed overnight – with police and city officials urging workers to stay away from Calgary’s corporate towers, including a number of downtown blocks expected to be evacuated – and be careful around river banks and bridges. Many of the evacuees won't be able to return home until at least Saturday. The city’s main homeless shelter was evacuated late Thursday, the city issued warnings about public transit interruptions, and the main downtown health emergency centre has been closed.

More here.

The disaster unfolding in Calgary was part of wider flooding that played out across southern Alberta Thursday, as flash floods hit the community of High River south of Calgary, a tiny creek became a deluge that washed away yards and fences in the mountain town of Canmore, and debris in rushing water triggered a sour gas leak in Turner Valley, south of Calgary.

It's a miracle only three people have died so far in the Lourdes flooding.

Floods caused by rapid snow melt in the rocky mountains. That is caused by the heat wave that has since passed on to Alaska on is way to the Arctic. A little local difficulty compared to the eary monsoon in India.

Washington Post images from India.

Apparently they're getting a hammering in New Zealand's south island too - heavy snow, gales and flooding.

Ah, the Calgary floods are a 'once-in-a-century' type. That's alright then.

The record for the Elbow River near Bragg Creek — one of the communities left awash by the flood — had been 377 cubic metres per second. The peak flow during the 2005 flood, considered a once-in-a-century event in many parts of the watershed, was 308 cubic metres per second.

On Thursday, the Elbow at that same point peaked at at least 513 cubic metres per second.

More here.

Not just Alberta that's having a hard time - BC too.

Edit: according to a news source I was reading, Canada does not have flood insurance.

An individual flood can not be blamed on climate change, such events occured long before anyone had heard of climate change.
However in recent years there has been a significant increase in flood losses, and IMHO the general increase as distinct from any particular flood CAN be blamed on climate change.

Higher average temperatures, especialy sea temperatures, lead to more evaporation, which of course comes down again as rain or other percipitation.

Higher average temperatures also lead to higher wind speeds (more heat energy driving the weather systems) and this increases the risk of marine flooding, as distinct from rain flooding.

adam2 wrote:An individual flood can not be blamed on climate change,

True.

However, floods are becoming "normal" and flood insurance is getting harder to come by in those countries that provide it.

I don't know whether to feel affronted or relieved that York hasn't featured in this thread yet.

Is it currently flooding?

A sad unintended event in India as a result of the floods here.

A rescue helicopter delivering wood for the mass cremations of the victims of flooding in northern India crashed on Tuesday, killing the eight people on board, the government said.

Europe’s patchwork progress on flood risk management

Hungary used almost 10.2 million sandbags to fight the floods

Maybe 'yet another extreme flooding event' does not climate change demonstrate. However, the transporting of millions of tons of sand from various As to multiple Bs is not exactly going to help long term, is it?

emordnilap wrote:Is it currently flooding?

No. But, give it time...