Big melt causing some Calgary homes to flood
Calgarians report 1,200 problem catch basins as thawing snow floods some streets and sidewalks
Some Albertans are dealing with flooding as warm temperatures caused heaps of snow to melt around the province.
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development's sent out an emergency alert Monday afternoon warning of overland flooding due to rapid snow melt across the province.
In Calgary, the basement of Krista Beavis's Southwood home flooded Sunday because of the thaw.
"It's frustrating — makes you feel a little sick at the time. But just trying to put one foot in front of the other," she said.
Beavis says she's already talked to her insurance company, which says they're not providing coverage.
"At this point, it's just trying to keep snow and water away from that side of my house where it was coming in until summer," said Beavis.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi asks anyone that sees significant pooling on their streets because of a blocked drain to call 311.
"As the weather is warming up, I'm wondering if this might spring," said Nenshi. "Maybe our seasons actually came in order this year. I don't quite think it's havoc, but we are getting some localized pooling."
Over 100 property damage reports
The city has received calls about 1,200 frozen catch basins that are causing water to pool, according to a press release sent out Monday. Ten per cent of callers are reporting property damage. There are approximately 48,000 catch basins around the city.
Ryan Kidd, from Calgary Water Services asks residents to try and be patient as crews work.
"We know it's hard to do, but we'll get around to all those calls as soon as we can and make sure the system is working," said Kidd.
Crews are first dealing with problems that are causing water to enter house, garages and businesses.
“Additional crews have been brought on and other crews have been reassigned to take care of priority calls. Calgarians are asked for their patience as crews attend to those calls,” reads the release.
“If you find there is a problem with a catch basin, the city does not advise that you try to clear it yourself as you cannot see potential hazards under the water's surface.”
The next priority is open manholes, playground zones, school zones, hospital zones, handicap access and bus zones followed by flooded roadways and intersections.
The city has tips on how to protect property from melt damage on their website.