Parts of Drumheller area still under evacuation order
About 75 residents in the community of Wayne, near Drumheller, Alta., are still out of their homes because of rising water.
The Town of Drumheller declared a state of local emergency at 5 p.m. Monday and ordered residents of Wayne — a former hamlet about 14 kilometres southeast of the town but which is now included in its jurisdiction — to evacuate, along with people living on Highway 10x.
The order remained in effect on Tuesday.
Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg said the primary concern for the town is the structure and safety of the bridges that cross the Rosebud River.
"When you have 11 bridges in such a short area, there's cause for concern," Colberg told The Homestretch Tuesday.
Most affected residents opted to leave their homes. But some who chose to stay to protect their homes had to sign a waiver so the town knew where they were.
Most people have found lodging with friends or family, Colberg said.
"That's the wonderful thing of small community, everybody pitches in and steps up and helps each other," Colberg said. "That is the beauty of Drumheller, everybody seems to be there when we really need them."
Only two residents used the registration centre Monday night said town spokesperson Julia Fielding.
Affected residents were told to register at the reception centre at the Drumheller Stampede and Ag Society Building.
Do not drink well water
AHS is advising anyone still in the Wayne area not to drink their well water. Members of Drumheller's fire department were going door to door to make sure people were aware of the need to evacuate.
Crews have been sandbagging the historic Last Chance Saloon in Wayne and a couple of campgrounds that have had water damage.
Colberg said only the saloon, the campground and the Wayne Community Hall have been affected.
Alberta Transportation is inspecting the highway and the river crossings where the rising water has become a problem.
"We have 11 bridges, and we just need to make sure that they are safe."
Mike Symowoniuk, who lives beside the overflowing Rosebud River in the community of Rosedale, southeast of Drumheller's town centre, says he's not very worried. The water was even higher last year, he said.
"My neighbour's shed almost got swept away last year," he said. "As long as it keeps flowing and keeps flowing quick, should be OK."
Aaron Bryant, who runs an excavation company as well as greenhouses in the Drumheller area, says he wasn't in the evacuation zone but he did have to sign a release in order for the gas company to keep the power on at his business.
"Because we got a crop in there now, and we just want to keep that functioning," he said.
But Bryant says he's not surprised to see the water as high as it is in the rivers.
"We've been here for 42 years, and I've seen this happen every year."
The Rosebud River is a major tributary of the Red Deer River, which runs through the main section of Drumheller.
The Red Deer River rose about half a metre overnight, but it remains below a higher point that it reached on Saturday, Fielding says.
"However, we are still monitoring it," she said.
Fielding says the town is also working closely with officials in adjacent Wheatland County.
Beiseker under state of emergency
About 70 kilometres west, officials in Beiseker say it, too, is getting a lot of overland flooding from fields near the town and has also declared a state of local emergency.
About 15 homes in that community have flooded basements.
Impacted residents are asked to report to the Red Cross Reception Centre at the Beiseker Community Hall for help and information.
Local states of emergency are also still in effect for the County of 40 Mile, The Municipal District of Taber, Vulcan County and the Siksika First Nation.
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