Flooding forced the evacuation on Friday of some 100,000 people in the western city of Calgary and nearby towns in the heart of the Canadian oil patch.
Schools were closed and the military sent in a dozen helicopters and 1,200 troops to help clear more than two dozen neighborhoods as heavy rains caused the Bow and Elbow Rivers in western Canada to overflow their banks.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi urged residents to gather their belongings and flee. He told them to expect to be away from their homes for a few days while police patrolled streets shouting evacuation orders over loudspeakers.
Electricity was cut in some parts of the city, and several roads and bridges were closed to traffic.
Firefighters swarmed residential neighborhoods, carrying stragglers out of homes through knee-high waters or in boats to safety.
A large swath of downtown that includes the iconic Saddledome, home of the National Hockey League Calgary Flames, and surrounding lands where the city was to host its annual Stampede rodeo in just 15 days, was flooded.
Damage was said to be extensive.
Calgary resident Adam Klamar said all of the city's downtown was emptied of people by midday.
"It's pretty empty now," he said by telephone. "The whole downtown is on lockdown, they're not letting anyone in or out, there's only one or two routes still open."
He said he has seen the odd person walking around, and a few cars drive by, but otherwise the city center is eerily quiet, with only the sounds of sirens heard against a backdrop of rain coming down.
"It's still raining," he lamented. "It looks like it's getting worse... it seems to be raining more than it was this morning. "If it doesn't stop raining it could get worse."
With more rain forecast over the weekend, water levels are expected to continue rising in the city of one million people that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, before cresting.
Twelve communities in surrounding Alberta province meanwhile have declared a state of emergency, and mudslides forced the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway, isolating the mountain resort town of Banff.
Television footage showed swift currents carrying away cars and destroying homes in nearby towns. However no injuries or deaths have been reported.
Patients were also evacuated from two hospitals in Canmore and High River.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was expected to tour the flood ravaged regions, which includes his electoral district in Calgary, in the late afternoon.
AFP
Sat Jun 22 2013
Pembangunan pelajar perlu dinilai secara holistik
Keseluruhan pembangunan murid perlu dilihat secara holistik termasuk mengambil kira pencapaian dalam akademik, kokurikulum serta potensi dalam bidang lain.
KBS akan tambah baik infrastruktur sukan di Cameron Highlands
Kementerian Belia dan Sukan berhasrat untuk menambah baik infrastruktur sukan di Cameron Highlands bagi memberi sokongan kepada atlet di kawasan itu sehingga ke peringkat akar umbi.
Bekerja sambil lewa mengkhianati amanah - Mufti P. Pinang
Jika seseorang pegawai atau pekerja tidak bersungguh-sungguh menunaikan pekerjaannya atau bekerja sekadar "melepaskan batuk di tangga" sahaja maka dia dikira mengkhianati amanah.
Faisal Halim semakin stabil
Faisal selesai jalani pembedahan kedua yang berlangsung selama tiga jam petang semalam.
PM doakan Faisal Halim segera sembuh
Perdana Menteri titip doa agar Faisal dikurniakan afiyah sesegera mungkin dan kembali meneruskan perjuangannya dalam sukan bola sepak.
Tanam padi guna sistem air bawah tanah akan dilaksana atasi kesan kemarau
Kerajaan akan melaksanakan kaedah tanaman padi menggunakan sistem air bawah tanah sebagai persediaan menghadapi cuaca panas yang dijangka lebih buruk tahun hadapan.
Kempen 'RevUp and Register' perkasa penggunaan domain .my
MYNIC, melancarkan kempen 'RevUp and Register' bagi memperkasa pertumbuhan salah satu aset digital negara iaitu nama domain .MY.
59 projek pacu pembangunan pesisiran pantai Port Dickson - MB
Sebanyak 59 projek dicadang dilaksanakan bagi memacu pembangunan pesisiran pantai Port Dickson sekali gus menjadikan ia sebagai destinasi pelancongan antarabangsa.
Media arus perdana perlu tingkat kualiti, bersaing dengan wartawan segera
Peningkatan kualiti mustahak bagi memastikan media arus perdana terus menjadi sumber rujukan utama rakyat melibatkan pelbagai isu semasa.
DSA : Simulator pesawat TUDM beri peluang pengunjung kendali pesawat pejuang
Simulator penerbangan FITs dibangunkan TUDM, memberi peluang kepada orang ramai merasai pengalaman mengendalikan pesawat pejuang.
Akaun Facebook dikemaskini dengan peranti yang disangka sudah hilang
Seorang jejaka terkejut apabila status Facebooknya dikemaskini menerusi peranti yang terjadi di sebuah sungai di Calgary, Kanada.
Penyanyi utama kumpulan Bon Jovi tarik diri
Richie Sambora mengambil keputusan untuk menarik diri dari jejalah kumpulan Bon Jovi atas isu peribadi.