A Local State of Emergency has been declared for the community of Wayne and there is a mandatory evacuation order for residents in Wayne and along Highway 10X.
Acting CAO Barb Miller says that the Drumheller Fire Department is going door-to-door to evacuate residents from Bridge 2 near Rosedale all the way to Wayne.
This comes in light of water levels in the Rosebud River expected to rise another eight inches in the next 24 hours. Consistently the Rosebud River level throughout the day has been about 4.4 metres at Redland.
“The Town has been in constant communication with provincial river forecasters and Alberta Emergency Management alert personnel, and have been continuously monitoring the conditions of the river,” said Miller.
Miller says the primary concern is for the safety of residents and the integrity of the bridges that connect Wayne and residents along Highway 10X. Alberta Transportation has been monitoring the bridges during the high-water event and this afternoon Drumheller firefighters were on the bridges 3, 5 and 11 monitoring for large debris and erosion around the bridge supports.
The highway is being closed to traffic aside from local residents leaving the area and Miller hopes that the evacuation will be completed later this evening.
According to a press release from The Town of Drumheller, all evacuated residents must register with the Reception Centre at the Ag Society Stampede Barn.
Mayor Heather Colberg requests that residents cooperate with authorities and keep tuned to local radio for further details. Town’s emergency management team are quickly implementing plans and dealing with issues as they arise.
Watch www.drumhellermail.com and its Facebook page for further updates as they become available.