This week, Environment Canada has daytime temperatures in the pluses, and it’s causing some worry of the possibility of overland flooding.
Alberta Environment released a ‘Spring Runoff Advisory’ yesterday saying areas of primary concern are south of Peace River and Fort McMurray.
Alan McIntosh is the Assistant Deputy Chief of Emergency Management for Regional Emergency Services.
He explains the warning.
“It’s an advisory to remind people that we’ve had a long cold winter, and we’re going through the first of our melting periods,” he continues, “and what that means, is that you can expect to see water on the roads, you can expect to see it in low valleys, or on some of the highways.”
“Be aware that melting is now occurring, and it’s a normal occurrence in the spring, but because of the very warm temperatures the melting could occur quite a bit faster in the next few days” says McIntosh.
Alberta Environment says the two regions in the advisory are regions that had the most plains snow pack over the winter and they’re seeing the higher temperatures.
It says to expect rising water levels in smaller creeks with the possibility of flooding into near-by low-lying areas but major river’s aren’t expected at this time to overflow.
But McIntosh says they’re monitoring the situation.
“We’re in touch with the river forecasters at Alberta Environment on a daily basis, to monitor the situation and to know exactly where we are within the river rising,” he adds, “at the moment we don’t have any detailed forecasts that tells us we’re going to have any flooding.”
