Downtown Calgary Evacuated as Flood Waters Inundate City

Record flooding along the two rivers that flow through central Calgary, the Bow and Elbow, have forced the evacuation of the city's downtown and forced at least 75,000 residents to seek higher ground.

1 minute read

June 22, 2013, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"Authorities have ordered the evacuation of central Calgary as flooding has left swathes of the city underwater," reports the BBC. "Torrential rain and floodwaters have washed away roads and bridges around Alberta's largest city and have caused landslides elsewhere in the province."

With the home of the city's famous Stampede underwater just two weeks from the start of the annual event, it's unclear if the rodeo will go on as scheduled.

"Daniel Kilgallon, who is staying with his relatives after evacuating his flat, told the BBC: 'The city has stopped functioning. Nobody can remember a flood like this ever happening here.'"

Friday, June 21, 2013 in BBC

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