Tuesday, 25 June 2013

IN WHICH THE "FLOOD" COMES

Well, we can't say they didn't warn us.  A significant portion of the Bears' side of the South Saskatchewan River has been covered when the river overflowed its banks.



What do you mean that you can't see it? It's right there before your face! Good grief, are your eyes getting as bad as the Bear's? I surely hope not! 

What? You need a bigger picture? Ok, then; look.


Satisfied? 

You're not?

The things I do for you readers!


The flooded patch covers about a couple of metres/yards each way. That's the total extent of the flooding on the south side of the river.  Not very exciting. Significant in its smallness. 


Meanhile, on the other side of the river the flooding is getting more serious. Remember the observation deck there which was almost in the water? It's in the centre of the picture, below, mostly under water. 



The water is probably up to your knees, or a bit higher.

Further down the river, by and under the Traffic Bridge, the water is probably over the tops of your rubber boots (or wellies, if that's what you prefer). 




While I've rather tongue in cheek thus far, there is a serious side to his story. 

The Water Authority says, even with all the water that is upriver (which flooded to Calgary and Medicine Hat), this is the high water mark we should expect to see. The flow rate is 2,000 cubic metres per second (please don't ask about gallons, that's "a lot"). Maybe a week or so like this. Meaning nobody in Saskatoon should be flooded. Nobody. 

"For this relief, much thanks."  ~ Shakespeare, and Bear. 

Blessings and Bear hugs, folks.


34 comments:

  1. Oof! This IS scary, but I do so hope this is the extent of the flooding, Bear. Keep me posted, okay? :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Reminds me of something else from Shakespeare, DJan: "Much Ado About Nothing."

      I'll post something more if the water gets any higher. But I doubt that will happen. But thanks for your concern.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  2. I remember when the tiny town I lived in as a girl flooded. We had at least 6 inches of flood water on the first floor of our home. I remember my father and grandfather hauling a few pieces of furniture away ~ it was ruined. Goodness, that was way back in the late 1940's. Stay safe.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the story, Helen. There is so much space between our place and that bit of water, that the best way to get there would be by parachute. Maybe I can borrow one from DJan.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  3. Glad the water is still somewhat contained....stay safe!

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    Replies
    1. It is nice to be dry when, sadly, so many others are soaked.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  4. Has anyone who was evacuated been able to return home? My mother was telling me when she was 8 yo (shes 84 now) that her uncle rowed up to their second story bedroom window in a skiff to pull them out of their house during a flood. SHe remembers it as a great adventure...oh to be a kid and have such a skewed sense of the real dangers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The return is varied. In Calgary, for example, whole neighbourhoods have been cleared for return planning. Inspectors are literally going house to house to make sure dwellings are safe. Then individuals can have a look. But even at that, their place may not be safe. In High River, people are not yet allowed back into their homes. And I believe people are still being evacuated from Medicine Hat. Mixed bag of challenges.Thanks for asking.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

      Delete
  5. Wow, I have to say you guys really get WEATHER. We had a few sprinkles of rain yesterday and everyone is freaking out!

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    Replies
    1. It's just not the rain, Jody, it's all the water in the Rocky Mountains which (as snow) is melting. Heavy rains and snow melt in the mountains. About 200 mm of rain in some places. It comes into the principal rivers like the Bow and Elbow, which feed into the South Saskatchewan.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  6. Gee, Bear, western Oregon looks like that several times a year sometimes, and then there are even places where the flooding is so bad and so frequent that the houses are built on stilts. Wouldn't this normally be a dry time of year for you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We actually have a problem similar to Oregon's I think. This isn't just rainfall; it's snow melting in the mountains because of warmer temperatures and rainfall.

      And our weather locally is not entirely following traditional patterns. Some places are quite dry, and others, even ones not connected to the Alberta melt, have seen flooded fields for several years. It's all nuts, as far as I can tell.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  7. I hope it doesn't rain and more and hope it stays stopped.

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    Replies
    1. Well, sandie, the rain in only part of the problem. (See replies, above) As I've mentioned, there is the snow melt in the mountains. The Bears are still high and dry, and we expect to stay that way.

      Blessings and Bear hugs

      Delete
  8. It happened so fast and the water was very turbulent.
    I guess now Calgary has to fix things so this doesn't happen anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HIgh and fast. Calgary has been developing barriers to control flood waters. As has Winnipeg. But when the waters are well above "normal," even for anticipated floods, the best defences are inadequate. That is what they've been having. Calgary saw major "once in a hundred years" flooding in 1995 and 2005. And this is worse than those.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  9. Floods. We ( Australia) have had more than our share over the last 12 months. I feel for you guys x

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    1. Thanks, Lisa. Like you, we have the twin problems of flooding and forest fires. We've been so focused on the flooding, I've not heard anything about the fire situation. The vast majority of fires here are caused by lightening strikes.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  10. Hope the water level goes down soon. Stay safe, dear bear.

    I don't know who said it, but This too shall pass

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, KK. So far, things at the Bears' den are just fine. I hope they stay that way.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

      Delete
  11. Glad to hear the flooding isn't bad in your area. Hopefully it stays this way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's our hope too, Misha. Thanks.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  12. I have been reading about the flooding on other blogger's sites, as well. It is heartbreaking to read about it and to know that so many people are adversely affected.
    Prayers....lots of prayers to each one, my friend.
    Hugs,
    Jackie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's not a lot of fun for many people, Jackie. Thanks for the "help."

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  13. Last year the drought devastated the area around here and this year...we have floods. Too bad there isn't a happy medium.

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The weird weather keeps rolling along. I hope you manage to stay high, dry, and not too hot!

      Blessings an Bear hugs, Kathy.

      Delete
  14. It's raining here right now, but we're getting nowhere near that amount of water. Stay safe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's been raining here, again, tonight! More of the same.

      I'm not worried for the folks in the city, but some of the rural areas are really low, too.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  15. I'm glad to know most of the overflow has abated even though I don't like to think of the mess awaiting those whose homes were flooded.

    Take care.

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    1. The bill for the cleanup is going to run to about five billion $, last I heard, susan.

      And that doesn't begin to replace the irreplaceables.

      Delete
  16. Too much of a good thing....

    Sigh. It's sad to see so much water. I'm glad you aren't wading in your wellies but certainly feel for those in the other areas.

    May the sun shine brightly soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm glad to be standing on high ground, and taking pictures form here. The City is busy warning people to stay away form the river, though a few people have ignored the warning, and imperilled their lives.

      I hope this is over soon, so we can get on with the cleanup.

      Blessings and Bear hugs, Reffie.

      Delete
  17. There once was a girl named Nelly who waded in the water up to her knees. It would have rhymed but the water wasn't deep enough. She should have waded in the SSR, I guess. Glad it wasn't serious for Saskatoon.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. If she waded into the SSR, she would probably floated away, never to be seen again. Or she might have been like the girl in Madras, before the water level rose.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete

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