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Rip
Trad climber
Norman, OK
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Jun 22, 2013 - 01:29am PT
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I've been in Canmore since the flood started and traveled around today assessing the damage. According to the authorities, the river has crested in Banff and will crest in Canmore tonight. Central Canmore has some minor flooding (basements and low lying areas) but for the most part will escape major damage. Things are actually looking better tonight, as the worst is over here. The Cougar Creek flood, however, has caused the most damage with multiple exposed house foundations, and then heavily damaged Highway 1 below. Fortunately, no houses along Cougar Creek actually fell into the flood waters, but many look to be beyond saving.
Highway 1 is closed from Canmore to Calgary due to several damaged bridges, and closed from Canmore to Banff due to damage at the Carrot Creek bridge. But the most damage appears to be at the place where Cougar Creek intersects highway 1, both the West and Eastbound lanes. That means, at least for the time-being, no one can leave Canmore in either direction. But the authorities are allowing food trucks to enter the area.
The Canmore town web site is a great place to get updates.
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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Jun 22, 2013 - 02:14am PT
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AP: i was once told that the some of the major early flooding [ the three largest events on record were in 1879, 1897 and 1902 ] along with being prior to the building of the downstream dams, were at least in part coincident with major forest fires in the foothills that wiped out much of the soils ability to as successfully absorb moisture. i've been trying to find something authoritative that makes and backs up this claim, but so far no luck. so who knows it could be just a nice myth.
what i did find in looking, that i found interesting was this quote from "The River Returns: An Environmental History of the Bow":
"High monthly rainfall was not in itself sufficient to cause a flood. What seemed to matter most was the degree of saturation of the ground by previous storms and the concentration of subsequent rainfall in a short period. Monthly rains totalling more than 9 inches in 1899, 1927, and 1954, for example, did not result in floods. The years of notable floods - 1915, 1929, and 1932 - recorded only 4 inches of rain or less in a month. It was the distribution of that rain that made all the difference."
the above would seem to pretty much sum up this event in 2013... it's not just about how much rain but about how much, how fast and how soon after a previous rain that had already created ground saturation in the mountains, and foot hills...
Jim Brennan: i may be dense, haha, but i don't think i follow... if you're making a joke about klein's vs nenshi's competence in handling a complex set of fluid events like this one i wouldn't disagree even though i wasn't around for klein's tenure. nenshi and his administration's handling so far has been nothing short of exemplary from my perspective. he and his team keep the public informed with quality and transparent info, and the whole bureaucratic structure handled the evacuations having very little notice themselves, and still remained incredibly effective and efficient. so far, so impressive...
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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Jun 22, 2013 - 02:41am PT
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JB: aahh, i was reading into it way too hard - haha. i couldn't agree more with what you were really saying ... like the mountains, these large scale natural events are a reminder of how small we ultimately are ... individually and even collectively.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 22, 2013 - 02:51am PT
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"It is disgusting how little press this has received. "
Yeah, WTF is that about?
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wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
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Jun 22, 2013 - 09:42am PT
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Such a sad situation; such a special part of the world. Positive vibes to all folks affected by this tragedy.
Just out of curiosity: I've been dealing with the topic of flood insurance and the soon-to-be-changing flood maps for the city of Boulder. The so-called 100 year flood plain will be greatly expanded along some drainages that seem to be pretty obscure (and absolutely dry except in rare heavy downpours). Bruce, this may be tangentially related to your comments about climate change.
Anyway, how much does the government up there in Alberta, and mortgage companies impose flood insurance on homes located in flood plains in Canada? I purchased flood insurance last week on my house in Boulder for the first time in 16 years, so that I can get grandfathered in at a more affordable rate once the maps change. Good thing is that the city of Boulder has given residents a heads up so that one can be proactive. Bad thing is that the mortgage companies force one to buy flood insurance that has become much more expensive since the devastating Mississippi River floods of several years ago.
Again, best hopes and thoughts to all of you in Alberta.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jun 22, 2013 - 11:04am PT
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Speaking of Canadians, I'll bet there's no looting and rioting after the floods either.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jun 22, 2013 - 02:06pm PT
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Was this one AGW too?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Flood_of_1862
it was estimated that approximately one-quarter of the taxable real estate in the state of California was destroyed in the flood. Dependent on property taxes, the State of California went bankrupt. The governor, state legislature, and state employees were not paid for a year and a half.[
There's geological evidence in the drainage's of coastal streams that this has been happening at about 200 year intervals for a very long time.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Jun 22, 2013 - 02:11pm PT
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Riley, what worries me is an event like this happening in northern Alberta, and overflowing the tar sands tailings ponds. All that toxic crap would be everywhere and into arctic drainages.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 22, 2013 - 02:28pm PT
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I wonder how the trout will be affected by all this?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 22, 2013 - 03:13pm PT
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Boy, all those Murrican turoids goin' up to Banff are gonna be pissed off!
How could yous guys let this happen?
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Jun 22, 2013 - 04:21pm PT
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TFPU, McHale's Navy! I didn't know about this. Of course its not in the Albetra government's interest to make the public aware...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/apache-pipeline-leaks-60000-barrels-of-salty-water-in-northwest-alberta/article12494371/
Toxic waste spill in northern Alberta biggest of recent disasters in North America
The substance is the inky black colour of oil, and the treetops are brown. Across a broad expanse of northern Alberta muskeg, the landscape is dead. It has been poisoned by a huge spill of 9.5 million litres of toxic waste from an oil and gas operation in northern Alberta, the third major leak in a region whose residents are now questioning whether enough is being done to maintain aging energy infrastructure.
The spill was first spotted on June 1. But not until Wednesday did Houston-based Apache Corp. release estimates of its size, which exceeds all of the major recent spills in North America. I.....
...The leak follows a pair of other major spills in the region, including 800,000 litres of an oil-water mixture from Pace Oil and Gas Ltd., and nearly 3.5 million litres of oil from a pipeline run by Plains Midstream Canada.
After those accidents, the Dene Tha had asked the Energy Resources Conservation Board, Alberta’s energy regulator, to require installation of pressure and volume monitors, as well as emergency shutoff devices, on aging oil and gas infrastructure. The Apache spill has renewed calls for change.
“We don’t believe that the government is doing enough to ensure upgrades and maintenance of the lines,” Mr. Ahnassay said.
The Apache spill took place in an area rich with wetlands. Though the Dene Tha suspect waterfowl have died, the company said it has seen no wildlife impacts. The spill has not reached the Zama River, although the Alberta government said it has affected tributaries. Water monitoring is ongoing.
Neither Apache nor Alberta initially disclosed the spill, which was only made public after someone reported it to a TV station late last week. The National Energy Board, by comparison, sent out a news release Tuesday after a spill of five to seven barrels of oil at an Imperial Oil Ltd. refinery in Sarnia, Ont....
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BMcC
Trad climber
Livermore
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Jun 22, 2013 - 09:10pm PT
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Amazing and sad to see the flooding and related damage, and its effects will impact so many people for longer than the duration of the high water!
apogee - thanks for starting this thread. I had read some about the flooding in Calgary and was guessing that Canmore was probably getting slammed, too.
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