Alberta Floods 2013: Emergency services forced to pivot response plans during flood
MEDICINE HAT, AB – On this day 10 years ago water levels surged in the South Saskatchewan River to 5,450 cubic meters per second.
As the river was about to crest at record setting levels, emergency crews had their hands full with a flood of calls for service on both sides of the river.
More than 1,500 evacuees had already registered at shelters as the military deployed units to assist in building berms in low-lying communities.
As the river rose to nearly record levels city officials were ready to deploy a plan for service if the Trans-Canada Highway bridge needed to close.