LAC LA BICHE, Alta. — At least 70 people have been ordered to leave their homes in a northern Alberta hamlet after heavy rainfall led to flooding.
Mayor Omer Moghrabi issued a mandatory evacuation order Sunday night for parts of Lac La Biche, about 220 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
"For the past four or five days, we've been receiving a lot of rain — the most I've seen in my lifetime and I've been here a long time," Moghrabi said in an interview Monday.
The emergency alert issued Sunday said there was potential for train tracks to wash out, which would send more than a metre of water rushing into the area.
Moghrabi said Monday the water had breached the railway tracks and flooded some basements.
"It's a lot of water," he said. "No loss of life, but there will be some infrastructure damage."
Moghrabi said large pumps were set up to drain the area into a nearby lake.
Some water also got into the water treatment plant, but the mayor said the quality of drinking water was still good. The waste-water treatment plant was operating at full capacity as officials didn't want to see sewer backups, he said.
Moghrabi said about 70 evacuees registered at the Bold Centre, a recreational facility in the hamlet, before they were put up in hotels. Evacuees were initially asked to pack for at least 48 hours.
"We're thinking — I hate to say it — three or four days," he said. "It'll quickly go down as long as it doesn't rain.
"We're quite ready for most of it, but you can't beat nature."
Alberta Transportation closed some highways in Lac La Biche County to non-essential travel.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2020
The Canadian Press
