Drumheller residents can expect the Red Deer River to crest at midnight on Sunday, according to the most recent projections.

The Town of Drumheller held a media availability on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Even during the briefing, river projections were amended, showing the uncertainty of the situation.  The projections shared at the time expected a crest of about 1,300 cubic metres per second, and it is supposed to reach Drumheller Sunday at midnight. The river will run at peak for about 6 hours before subsiding.  In 2005, the river reached about 1,500 cubic metres per second.

Already residents are seeing the river rise.  As of 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, the Red Deer River through Drumheller was running at 634 cubic metres per second. Already some of the banks in Lehigh and East Coulee were seeing the river spill.

Residents went to bed on Friday evening expecting what was described as the one in10 year flood and woke up to predictions of a repeat of 2005. There has been a Herculean effort on the part of town workers, contractors and volunteers to prepare for the worst. A sand bag station was opened at IGA at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, and all day volunteers toiled all afternoon filling sand bags for affected residents.

“It’s incredible,” said Mayor Yemen. “There are a lot of people out sandbagging other people’s houses, neighbours homes, it’s really nice to see.”

He also credits the hard work of the Town CAO and staff for the exceptional effort. 

Dykes have been erected in some low-lying areas. In 2005, there was extensive dyking. Mayor Yemen explained the anticipated water doesn’t warrant the same level of preparations.

According to Ross Rawlusyk CA0 of Starland County, some of the mitigation following the flood of 2005 has helped the community prepare for Sunday night.

“One thing we did not have in place in 2005 was the dyking in additional parts of the valley. There were large areas of dyking that were not there back then, which is now permanent,” said Rawlusyk.

The evacuation effort has been orderly. According to the town about 80 per cent of homes considered high risk have received evacuation notices. About 15 per cent of those contacted have signed a waiver to decline evacuating.

The water system is not threatened, according to Paul Salvatore. The Town has added about 25 RCMP officers to help with security along with Institution staff. The Drumheller Institution has also given hygiene packs and blankets to the Evacuation Centre set up at Greentree Mall.

The Senior Lodges and facilities have not been evacuated. While families or loved ones have taken in some residents, many have stayed in their homes. The Acute Care department at the Drumheller Health Centre has been relocated, but all emergency services have been maintained. Residents of continuing care are being directed to facilities in surrounding communities.

Yemen said the Emergency response committee will be meeting Sunday at 11 a.m., baring anything unforeseen, to review its response.

“Everyone is working together to beat this thing,” said Mayor Yemen