Thousands evacuated as ice jam forces floodwaters into Canadian town
Thousands displaced after ice jam floods Canadian town
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 28, 2020 5:10 PM EDT
Flooding from spring thaw has forced the evacuation of downtown Fort McMurray, Alta., and prompted the municipality to ask Ottawa for military help.
Up to 15,000 residents were told to abandon their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, after an ice jam caused rivers to burst their banks, sending floodwaters into the town.
Officials in the Canadian town have been warning of the possibility of flooding during the spring melt for weeks, reported the Calgary Sun.
Fears came to fruition early Sunday morning as ice began to break and jam on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers. The ice has since created a blockage almost 25 km (15.5 miles) long, impeding the flow of the rivers and spreading water into the town.
On Thursday, a virtual town hall was held by the Fort McMurray municipality to discuss recovery following the flooding.
Scott Davis, the municipality’s director of emergency management, said during the meeting that the ice jam was 9.5 km (5.9 miles) long and that the water level on the Athabasca River have dropped by four metres (13 feet).
The ice was also continuing to darken, which is a sign that it is about to dislodge.
The mayor of Fort McMurray, Don Scott said they did not have an estimated time frame for when the boil water advisory, which was instituted on Monday, would be lifted.
As of Thursday, Scott estimated it would be another seven days before it would be safe for the evacuated residents to return to their homes.
Evacuation orders began as voluntary on Sunday but were quickly switched to mandatory as water levels rose. By Monday evening, downtown Fort McMurray, Draper, Waterways and the Taiga Nova Industrial Park were submerged or under evacuation orders, according to the Calgary Sun.
A voluntary evacuation is in place for Grayling Terrace and the gas was shut off as a precaution. Heat or hot water would not be available to any residence who chose to stay, reported the Fort McMurray Today.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has reported that 200 people have been rescued after not following evacuation orders.
Remarkable photos and videos have emerged showing water levels halfway up residences and, in some cases, up to roofs of buildings.
The Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is reportedly not under immediate threat, but it is located just a block away from the Walmart in town, located near the bank of the Clearwater River, where the parking lot is completely submerged.
Traffic was at a standstill on Monday where evacuees lined up in their vehicles for drive-thru registrations to receive lodging assignments. As hotels in the town fill up, some families are being sent north to oil camps.
The drive-thru registrations are one of many precautions being taken in the age of social distancing. Officials took into account the possibility of needing to evacuate in the instance of flooding or wildfires as they began planning for the spread of COVID-19 in January.
Meanwhile, it was reported on Tuesday that residents of the flood-stricken town would be exempt from some provincial health directives.
"Volunteers and workers involved in sandbagging, pumping and other flood-prevention work will be allowed to gather outside in groups of 15 people or more and will not be required to keep a minimum distance of two metres apart," stated CBC News.
The risk for ice jams and flooding return every spring when the frozen rivers begin to melt and break apart as temperatures begin to trend higher. After a frigid start to the month, temperatures quickly rebounded.
On April 1, the high was minus 13 C (7 F). Since the middle of the month, daytime temperatures have been consistently above freezing and even reached 21 C (69 F) on April 25.
The normal high temperature for Fort McMurray starts in the middle 10s C (middle 40s F) at the beginning of April and climbs into the lower 10s C (middle 50s F) by the end of the month.
Mainly dry weather is expected for the weekend after lingering showers on Friday. Any amount of additional rainfall can exacerbate flooding. Temperatures are forecast to remain near to above normal.
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While there are methods to break up ice jams, including floating excavators as well as explosives, the size of this ice jam renders these ineffective. Instead, officials will be utilizing sandbags and pumps to prevent floodwaters from reaching farther inland, especially near the hospital.
There is also talk of bringing in the military for assistance in addition to providing financial support to displaced residents.
Fort McMurray is no stranger to natural disasters. There have been flooding events in the past, but in 2016 a large portion of the town was destroyed in a wildfire.
“That odd feeling I felt four years ago when we had to evacuate because of the wildfire is that same old feeling again,” Rodi Sartagoda, who was leaving her home with her husband and son, told the Calgary Sun. “This time, there’s that extra worry because we have the pandemic and now we have to go out from our homes.”
There were positive signs on Wednesday. Fort McMurray Today reported that the ice jam had shrunk to 15 km (9 miles) and
Regional Emergency Services has also been working with Syncrude to remove water from Taiga Nova Eco-Industrial Park using portable fire pumps. So far the water level has gone down by about 5-10 cm (2-4 inches).
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Thousands evacuated as ice jam forces floodwaters into Canadian town
Thousands displaced after ice jam floods Canadian town
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 28, 2020 5:10 PM EDT
Flooding from spring thaw has forced the evacuation of downtown Fort McMurray, Alta., and prompted the municipality to ask Ottawa for military help.
Up to 15,000 residents were told to abandon their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, after an ice jam caused rivers to burst their banks, sending floodwaters into the town.
Officials in the Canadian town have been warning of the possibility of flooding during the spring melt for weeks, reported the Calgary Sun.
Fears came to fruition early Sunday morning as ice began to break and jam on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers. The ice has since created a blockage almost 25 km (15.5 miles) long, impeding the flow of the rivers and spreading water into the town.
On Thursday, a virtual town hall was held by the Fort McMurray municipality to discuss recovery following the flooding.
Scott Davis, the municipality’s director of emergency management, said during the meeting that the ice jam was 9.5 km (5.9 miles) long and that the water level on the Athabasca River have dropped by four metres (13 feet).
The ice was also continuing to darken, which is a sign that it is about to dislodge.
The mayor of Fort McMurray, Don Scott said they did not have an estimated time frame for when the boil water advisory, which was instituted on Monday, would be lifted.
As of Thursday, Scott estimated it would be another seven days before it would be safe for the evacuated residents to return to their homes.
Evacuation orders began as voluntary on Sunday but were quickly switched to mandatory as water levels rose. By Monday evening, downtown Fort McMurray, Draper, Waterways and the Taiga Nova Industrial Park were submerged or under evacuation orders, according to the Calgary Sun.
A voluntary evacuation is in place for Grayling Terrace and the gas was shut off as a precaution. Heat or hot water would not be available to any residence who chose to stay, reported the Fort McMurray Today.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has reported that 200 people have been rescued after not following evacuation orders.
Related:
Remarkable photos and videos have emerged showing water levels halfway up residences and, in some cases, up to roofs of buildings.
The Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is reportedly not under immediate threat, but it is located just a block away from the Walmart in town, located near the bank of the Clearwater River, where the parking lot is completely submerged.
Traffic was at a standstill on Monday where evacuees lined up in their vehicles for drive-thru registrations to receive lodging assignments. As hotels in the town fill up, some families are being sent north to oil camps.
The drive-thru registrations are one of many precautions being taken in the age of social distancing. Officials took into account the possibility of needing to evacuate in the instance of flooding or wildfires as they began planning for the spread of COVID-19 in January.
Meanwhile, it was reported on Tuesday that residents of the flood-stricken town would be exempt from some provincial health directives.
"Volunteers and workers involved in sandbagging, pumping and other flood-prevention work will be allowed to gather outside in groups of 15 people or more and will not be required to keep a minimum distance of two metres apart," stated CBC News.
The risk for ice jams and flooding return every spring when the frozen rivers begin to melt and break apart as temperatures begin to trend higher. After a frigid start to the month, temperatures quickly rebounded.
On April 1, the high was minus 13 C (7 F). Since the middle of the month, daytime temperatures have been consistently above freezing and even reached 21 C (69 F) on April 25.
The normal high temperature for Fort McMurray starts in the middle 10s C (middle 40s F) at the beginning of April and climbs into the lower 10s C (middle 50s F) by the end of the month.
Mainly dry weather is expected for the weekend after lingering showers on Friday. Any amount of additional rainfall can exacerbate flooding. Temperatures are forecast to remain near to above normal.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
While there are methods to break up ice jams, including floating excavators as well as explosives, the size of this ice jam renders these ineffective. Instead, officials will be utilizing sandbags and pumps to prevent floodwaters from reaching farther inland, especially near the hospital.
There is also talk of bringing in the military for assistance in addition to providing financial support to displaced residents.
Fort McMurray is no stranger to natural disasters. There have been flooding events in the past, but in 2016 a large portion of the town was destroyed in a wildfire.
“That odd feeling I felt four years ago when we had to evacuate because of the wildfire is that same old feeling again,” Rodi Sartagoda, who was leaving her home with her husband and son, told the Calgary Sun. “This time, there’s that extra worry because we have the pandemic and now we have to go out from our homes.”
There were positive signs on Wednesday. Fort McMurray Today reported that the ice jam had shrunk to 15 km (9 miles) and
Regional Emergency Services has also been working with Syncrude to remove water from Taiga Nova Eco-Industrial Park using portable fire pumps. So far the water level has gone down by about 5-10 cm (2-4 inches).
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo