With antecedent high soil moisture levels prior to June 18th, 2013 and heavy high intensity rainfall thereafter, Alberta, Canada, experienced a catastrophic flooding. Several areas including the Upper Red Deer, Bow River, and Highwood River watersheds, suffered damaging impact from this extreme weather event. States of local emergency were declared together with the activation of emergency operations centres. With unprecedented rising water levels numerous communities were placed under evacuation orders as a result.
You will notice how large scale weather systems played out in the short video below to aggravate the flooding problem. As the low pressure moisture bearing systems encroached into and strengthened in southwestern Alberta, high pressure cells established themselves across north to northweatern Alberta. These high pressure systems blocked movement of the low pressure systems thus rendering them quasi-stationary. As a result there was a build-up of storm rainfall in portions of southwestern Alberta leading to significant runoff formation and flooding.
As we learn from this extreme event, we will be better prepared to deal with future extreme flooding events. The success of future flood mitigation efforts will depend to a large extent on research & development, innovation, wise political decisions, and active participation of public and all related scientific, engineering and socio-economic disciplines.
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