Rainy, stormy weather last week continued to cause havoc in the region although overland flooding had dissipated.Several hail storms caused damage to personal property and last Wednesday's downpour of rain and hail contributed to at least one accident on Highway 27 east of Olds.Sgt. Troy Byrt of the Olds RCMP said weather was a contributing factor in a single vehicle rollover in a coulee a few miles east of Olds June 13.An occupant of the vehicle was treated on scene by emergency responders.With the peak of flooding believed to have subsided, area park officials began assessing early last week whether to reopen recreational and camping sites along the Little Red Deer River.A portion of Red Lodge Provincial Park was re-opened last Wednesday and the remaining campsites opened Friday, June 15 after being closed June 6 due to flood concerns. Heavy rainfall contributed to rising river and tributary levels in Red Deer and Mountain View counties.The Little Red Deer River did overflow its banks in the immediate area of the park but flood waters have since dissipated, said officials.As well, Mountain View County officials were surveying the Little Red Deer River near Water Valley Friday to see if it was safe to re-open the Water Valley Campground after it was temporarily closed the previous week due to flooding.“They've got the Celtic festival coming up and they typically make use of it,” said Ryan Morrison, MVC manager of Infrastructure Projects and Technical Services.The June 23 event draws attendees and performers from around the province who often camp there for the weekend.Range Road 5.4 in Mountain View County, known locally as the Anderson Valley Road, was re-opened after a one-day closure.One Mountain View County family overnighted at an emergency reception centre set up at Olds College and another man was registered after the county issued an evacuation alert for the South McDougall Flats area June 6.The county's emergency operations centre closed down a day later, when it was deemed the emergency had passed.
