From tinder dry conditions to flooded basements, more than a month’s worth of precipitation has fallen in the Edmonton Capital Region since Thursday evening.
According to CTV meteorologist Josh Classen, average precipitation for the month of May hovers around 46 mm – about 70 mm fell in Edmonton and area in just four days.
While the moisture comes as a relief for farmers and firefighters, it’s also creating havoc for some Edmontonians – including Rhonda Hruschak.
“It was off the ground […] probably half an inch at least. I went upstairs and googled what to do when your basement floods,” she said.
Even though insurance estimated the damage in Hruschak’s basement to be around $50,000, she’s not taking it personally.
“It’s actually really good news. I’m disappointed that it did this to the basement, but I’m happy we’re getting some moisture.”
Stan Blade, dean of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, said the much needed rain has provided an almost ideal situation – preventing what could have been a devastating repeat for farmers in the province.
“We lived this last year,” he said.
“Really dry through June, even into July, and what happened was that seed didn’t germinate. You’d drive past fields and there might have been a canola plant every five or ten feet […] no uniformity.”
According to Blade, farmers can now get out and seed their crops.
Until the current rainfall, only 40 mm of precipitation had fallen in Edmonton and area since January.
With files from Jeremy Thompson
