2013 Flood Timeline
Thursday, June 20
•1:20 p.m. High Stream Flow Advisory in the Red Deer River and the Little Red Deer River is upgraded to a Flood Warning.
•5:55 p.m. A Flood Warning is issued for the Red Deer River, south of the Glennifer Reservoir.
•9:50 p.m. Following an update from Alberta Environment, the Town announces that flooding is imminent, within 48-72 hours. Activates Emergency Operations Centre.
Friday, June 21
•8:30 a.m. projections of 1,300 cubic metres per second from the previous evening were tempered to between 700 to 1,000 cubic metres per second. Town is busy assessing what areas would need mitigation to prevent flooding damage.
•9 a.m. Flow at 174 cubic metres per second.
•11 a.m. Contractors muster to begin moving material for dyking. Knibb Construction brings in two track hoes. Local contractors as well as Carillion and Starland County lend equipment and operators.
•12:45 p.m. Water levels are characterized as being a one in 10 year flood. Sand bags are made available to those in high-risk areas at the Public Works Shop. Residents are assured water supply is safe.
•9 p.m. projections remain at approximately 1,000 cubic metres per second.
•11 p.m. Flow at 313 cubic meters/second.
Saturday, June 22
•5 a.m. flow at 376 cubic metres per second.
•6:45 a.m. Drumheller declares Local State of Emergency. Projections are of peak flows of 1,370 cubic metres per second.
•10 a.m. Emergency Reception Centre established at Greentree Mall. Sand bags filling area set up at Freson Bros IGA.
•12 p.m. Flow at 514 cubic metres per second. Water spilling banks in Lehigh and overland flooding occurring near Hoodoos.
•3 p.m. Emergency Operations Centre meets and enacts and Evacuation Plan for low-lying areas. Plan calls for 3,300 people to be evacuated, About 15 per cent opt to remain in homes. Acute Care patients and Continuing Care residents are relocated from the Drumheller Health Centre. Emergency remains open throughout.
•4:30 p.m. timeline revised during media briefing, river to crest at midnight Sunday.
•6 p.m. dyking efforts begin in Lehigh and near Marshall Estates. Roadblocks are set up. Five families spend night at Emergency Reception Centre.
•11 p.m. Flow at 863 cubic metres per second.
Sunday, June 23
•5 a.m. Flow at 1,026 cubic metres per second.
•11 a.m. Flow at 1,050 cubic metres per second, consistent with 2005 levels. Dyke reinforcement continues throughout valley.
•2 p.m. Crews attempt to free log-jam below Gordon Taylor Bridge. Bridge reduced to one lane. Some logs are removed, but project ends to reopen bridge to continue dyke building efforts. Yards in Nacmine, Midland, and Rosedale breached by water. Lehigh Dyke breached, 14 homes evacuated.
•3 p.m. flow peaks at 1,322 cubic metres per second, begins to slowly decline.
•4 p.m. Staff Sergeant Art Hopkins announces streets to be cleared of non-essential traffic after 10 p.m.
Monday, June 23
•5 a.m. Town monitors flow throughout the night. Trend shows a leveling off, with a slight decrease. Flow at 1,221 cubic metres per second.
•7 a.m. Flood Warning downgraded to Flood Watch.
•1 p.m. Crew successful in dislodging log-jam under Gordon Taylor Bridge.
•5 p.m. Evacuation order lifted, AltaGas assists in reentry by turning on gas. Flow at 1,177 cubic metres per second.
•5:30 p.m. Minister of Tourism Richard Starke tours Valley by air assessing damage.