I’m not thinking about gardening right now.
It’s the first day of summer and I should be happy. (After all, winter was obscenely long, and spring was just plain weird…).
Unfortunately, the city of Calgary and about 20 outlying communities are under a state of emergency right now due to massive flooding – the kind of flooding that hasn’t happened in nearly a century, if ever. Two rivers – the Bow and the Elbow – flow through Calgary and pretty much all of the downtown core and any neighbourhoods near the banks are completely underwater. Up to 100,000 people have been evacuated in Calgary alone. Thankfully, the neighbourhood where my hubby and I live is on high ground, distant from the rivers. But the destruction is difficult to fathom, and it’s even worse outside of the city. I can’t believe the videos and photos I’ve seen on the ‘net from towns such as High River, Canmore, and Bragg Creek – they’re incredible and heartbreaking. The stories of loss and all of the amazing acts of kindness and generosity are overwhelming.
And it’s still raining in some of the affected areas.
I just hope everyone in the flood zones will be safe, and that we can all pitch in to lend a hand wherever needed!
I sure hope you’re having a better solstice than we are in southern Alberta! What are your plans (gardening or otherwise) for the weekend?
Related articles
- Calgary Mayor says worst yet to come (castanet.net)
- Calgarians open homes, hearts to evacuees (globalnews.ca)
- Police say stay out of downtown Calgary as 100,000 evacuated due to flooding (calgaryherald.com)
- 1,200 troops deploying to help flood-hit Alberta communities (ctvnews.ca)
- Evacuations in Calgary to force 100,000 from homes as rivers burst banks (macleans.ca)
- City braces for worst of flooding; Elbow river likely crested, says mayor (calgaryherald.com)
- Flooding hits Calgary: ‘It’s like the apocalypse in here’ (metronews.ca)
- Alberta floods force thousands from homes (globalnews.ca)
- LIVE: Heavy rains, rising rivers prompt states of emergency in three cities (calgaryherald.com)
- Alberta flooding prompts state of emergency (disaster-report.com)
UPDATE (as of 23 June 2013) – More links:
As the sun starts to emerge on the city of Calgary (The Road Trip Hound)
Calgary’s state of emergency (Biggest Ball of String)