Rainfall and flood warnings for central Alberta

(Jay Rosove/CTV News Edmonton)

Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for parts of central Alberta as a massive weather system moves in from the south. Heavy downpours are expected to drop more than an average month of precipitation in just a few days.

Heavy rains are expected to start Monday evening and extend into Wednesday morning, and the following communities will be affected:

• Red Deer, Ponoka, Innisfail and Stettler can expect 50 to 80 mm.
• Drayton Valley, Devon, Rimbey and Pigeon Lake can expect 50 to 80 mm.
• Rocky Mountain House and Caroline can expect 75 to 125 mm, but Environment Canada says that more than 150 mm is possible in areas.

Alberta Environment and Parks have also placed some warnings and advisories in effect for rivers in the affected areas. The Red Deer River and Bow River are under flood warnings, with possible rises in water levels up to 3.5 metres.

In addition to rising river levels, the rain can cause flash flooding, water pooling on roads and localized flooding in low lying areas. People in affected regions should watch for washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts. The rain may also cause flash flooding, water pooling on roads and in low lying areas – as well as potential basement flooding.

Calgary has declared a state of emergency, as higher than normal snowpack in the mountains is expected to melt with the rain, and intensify the water flow.

Edmonton is expecting showers over the week, but no rainfall warnings have been issued for the capital region. At a press conference Monday, a government official said the North Saskatchewan River is not a concern for flooding at this time.

On Monday evening, Red Deer activated its Emergency Operations Centre in anticipation of flooding in the coming 24 to 72 hours.

"Activating the Emergency Operations Centre allows emergency crews to monitor conditions in a coordinated way, prepare mitigation efforts and prepare a coordinated response for anticipated flooding," said Ken McMullen, the city's director of emergency management, in a statement. "We continue to monitor the situation and will keep residents notified as the situation changes."

Latest information on river advisories can be found on the Alberta Rivers App or at https://rivers.alberta.ca.