EDMONTON -- Whitecourt has declared a local state of emergency due to rising water levels that followed days of heavy rain.
A camp ground with 30 units was evacuated and several residents living on the fringe of the flood zone are on watch.
Deputy Mayor Derek Schlosser says the town's golf course is "virtually underwater."
'This has been some of the worst flooding since 1972," he said. "The old people say 'I've been here 30 years and I've never seen it this bad.'"
Schlosser says the Athabasca River peaked at 1,400 cubic metres per second last year. He says last night, the river was flowing at over 2,000 cubic metres per second.
"It's very dangerous to be on the river or around it."
Heavy rains hit the area on Tuesday after Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning.
Rain remains in the forecast for the coming days, though it is less than the town has seen in recent days.
