Page 517 - Geosystems An Introduction to Physical Geography 4th Canadian Edition

Chapter 15 River Systems 481
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mFigure 15.2.2 Alberta floods, June 2013. (a) Waters inundate Delta Lodge and golf course along Route 40, as the water flows from the Rockies to Calgary. (b) Cougar Creek streambed and undercut houses after the flood had receded. [(a) Christian Botting. (b) AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Rocky Mountain Outlook, Craig Douce.]
mFigure 15.2.4 Cleanup and recovery at a house in High River. [Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press.]
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mFigure 15.2.3 Impacts of June, 2013, flooding in Southern Alberta. (a) Route 40 bridge and roadway destroyed by creek beyond flood stage. (b) Flooding Bow River overflows in Calgary. [(a) Christian Botting. (b) REUTERS/Andy Clark.
After devastating much of southwest- ern Alberta, high water levels continued to affect other communities as tributaries converged and the flood wave moved downstream. For example, low-lying areas at Medicine Hat, near the Saskatch- ewan border, were flooded by the South Saskatchewan River.
Longer-Term Impacts
Floods are traumatic experiences for most people who live through them. Drying out, digging away sediment, and clearing debris can take many months
to complete (Figure 15.2.4), and rebuild- ing can take even longer. A year later, the recovery process is still underway for many in the region (see alberta.ca/flood- 2013.cfm), with more than 2800 damage claims still to be resolved.
Lessons Learned
A report in 2014 summarized progress that has been made on recommenda- tions made in response to the 2013 floods (go to albertawatersmart.com/alberta- flood-2013.html to access this report). It also identifies gaps—further progress
that still needs to be made—categorized as short-term, medium-term, and long- term. These include gaps in flood fore- casting, flood mitigation measures, and rezoning floodplains. At the provincial level, the new Flood Recovery and Recon- struction Act included measures such as banning new developments in floodways, lessening future damage in flood fringes by funding mitigation efforts, and inform- ing homebuyers whether a property in a flood zone is eligible for future disaster assistance.
Elimination of future flood risks is impossible without abandoning devel- opments in floodplains. Another pos- sible mitigation of damage is to zone areas that are repeatedly flooded to ban reconstruction, especially involving emergency funding. Insurance compa- nies already have begun to "red line" such repeat-damage areas, refusing
to insure. The legacy of past devel- opment choices will persist into the future in most cases, but we must be more informed about risks and plan ac- cordingly. Those who choose to live in floodprone areas must accept the risks and possible consequences made so clear in 2013.