Thousands of people were trapped in Kananaskis Country on Monday after heavy rainfall and flooding prompted the Alberta government to issue a local state of emergency in the area.
Alberta Parks said nobody was hurt, but the province closed a large section of Highway 40 due to dangerous conditions, including flooding on roads and in recreation areas.
“We estimate there’s about 2,000 people impacted in this,” said Alberta Parks Director for Emergency Management Michael Roycroft.
The Evan Thomas bridge was washed out in the downpour, leaving a hole the size of a vehicle, while a mudslide at Little Highwood made a section of Highway 40 impassible.
Alberta Parks re-opened the highway north and south of the bridge so people could return home.
“Right now, our focus is on re-establishing connectivity in the Highway 40 corridor,” Roycroft said.
People in blocked off areas were asked to stay where they were if they had shelter on Monday morning. Those without a safe, dry place to stay were asked to head to William Watson Lodge or the Peter Lougheed Discovery Centre.
Hundreds of people stranded in the area Monday were at Mount Kidd campground. Among them was Ken Price-Jones’s wife, son and dog, who were staying at the campground in a trailer.
“I’m just trying to figure out whether I can get my family out or get stuff to them, if need be,” said Price-Jones, who was at the blocked off section of Highway 40, north of Kananaskis Village.
Crews shut down the highway at Sibbald Creek, only allowing traffic to flow out — including about 500 guests of the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
Guests scheduled to check into the hotel were not allowed to drive in on Monday. The hotel offered free cancellation for those who couldn’t check in.
The closure was still disappointing to some.
“(I’m) upset because we can’t go to the hotel and we can’t go do all the activities,” said 11-year-old Hanna Rashid. She travelled with her family from Edmonds, Wash., whose family planned to stay at the lodge that night.
There were about 250 people backcountry camping in Kananaskis.
Roycroft said the hope was to get the roads operational so people could get out instead of having to use a helicopter.
“I personally was part of the emergency response in 2013. At that time, we evacuated about 1,300 people by helicopter,” he said. “We’re hopeful this this time we can simply allow them to drive out via the south end of Kananaskis Country.
As the state of emergency continues, Alberta Parks is asking visitors to reschedule their plans to the area.
For some visitors, that has meant a last-minute pivot to their hiking plans.
“Unfortunately, the rain got the best of us and there’s some closed trails so now we’re in the process of hunting out new trails,” said Micheal Cocchiola, who was visiting from Connecticut and originally planned to hike Troll Falls on Monday.
For the latest on the flooding head to albertparks.ca/kcupdates
