Flood of 2013

Thursday started like any other day.  The boys went to school.  Jason went to work.  I was preparing for my year-end recital on Friday and getting ready to teach students.  The boys got home from school and I taught 7 music students - my last for the year.  Jason headed to Sobeys for me to buy all the food we needed for the recital.  While at the store we started hearing reports of evacuations all over the city due to flooding.  Word that boil water orders may start.  Jason decided to buy emergency water for us and to take to the recital on Friday if a boil water order started.

I was sick with a miserable cold and decided to make my squares in the morning and decided to head to bed.  I thought I'd look at facebook once last time and noticed a few of my friends in Riverbend and here in Douglas Glen were being told to evacuate.  Then the phone calls started.  The Bishop was away so Jason thought he should go and open the church for members that wanted to stay there.  The Bishop's wife was home so she headed over to the church and opened it.  We were hearing more and more of Douglas Glen was being evacuated so we decided to get prepared.  I packed a suitcase while Jason grabbed bedding and some food.

About 2 a.m. we still hadn't been evacuated so we assumed we were far enough away from the river and went to bed.  We woke up Friday morning to so much devastation.  Many of our church members had been evacuated and about 20 of them were "camping" out at the church.  All public and catholic schools in the city had been cancelled.  When Ashton found out his response was "not all bad things happen from flooding".

We checked the news to see if Jason would be able to get to work.  We discovered numerous road closures, and over 28 communities had been evacuated including downtown - where Jason works.  I decided I needed to cancel my year end recital since many of my students had been evacuated and the church was being used as a shelter.  We had lots of water and food so we decided to have a family day - as the mayor had recommended and couldn't stop watching the news.

This is the Deerfoot Casino on 17th the same street Jason works on.
Our old apartment in mission would be in the top right hand corner.

The road Jason takes to work.

Jason works across the street from Stampede.
Have no idea how Stampede is going to happen in less than 2 week.

The water rose to the 13th row in the Saddledome.

Other communities were hit even harder.  Canmore has had devastating flooding including their highway.

The entire town of High River had to be evacuated.  Over 800 people had to be rescued from their homes in helicopters and 100-200 people rescued by boat and other means.  3 people have died.

I'm nervous about Jason's job, but am also feeling incredibly grateful and blessed that our home is safe and we are together as a family.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by the flooding.  As a family we will see where we can help!