Everything seems back to normal in Peace River after an ice jam flooded the northern Alberta town last week and sent 4,000 people from their homes.
The water is back on the right side of the dikes and silt has been washed from the streets. But looks are deceiving, said Judy Pobuda, secretary treasurer for the Town of Peace River.
“Stop and get out and walk into one of the businesses and it looks like we’ve been bombed.”
About 45 businesses in the town of 6,700 have been ruined by floods created when ice jams on the Peace River forced water into the Heart River and then into town.
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Three days after the flood, buildings were still dark and beginning to smell, but businesses were starting the difficult task of cleaning mud and silt from ruined merchandise and inventory.
“Most of these businesses won’t be able to recover,” said Pobuda.
About 40 of the 45 businesses affected are privately owned and didn’t carry flood insurance. Because of the town’s history of flooding, insurance costs are prohibitive.
Damage has been estimated at more than $20 million.
Some damage preventable
Some business owners are now saying more could have been done to stop the flood. That reaction is normal, said Pobuda.
“A lot of people lost their livelihood, but we did all we could. We followed our disaster plan. We just had a situation that was beyond our control.”
Transportation minister Walter Paszkowski will tour the area and residents hope the government will offer disaster assistance.
Dave Ealey, spokesperson for Alberta Environmental Protection, said this year’s flooding across the province is different from other years.
Flooding is generally caused by high rainfall in combination with mountain snow melt. This year flooding is mainly in the plains, caused by melting snow.
“It’s not a whole chunk of the province under water, but it is fairly extensive and it could worsen with the rain,” Ealey said.
Most flooding still to come is expected to be in rural or remote areas.
A three-day rain last week in Peace country added more pressure to the already waterlogged ground and rivers. Freezing nights may help delay runoff.
“If it warms up quite intensely, that would not be very good for us,” said Ealey.
Flood warnings were in effect Monday for the Vermilion River near Vegreville, Paddle River downstream from Sangudo, Medicine River near Eckville, lower reaches of the Pembina River downstream of the Paddle River confluence and small streams in the Grande Prairie – Peace River area.
