Rebekah Roberts was doing schoolwork in her home in the northwest community of Sunnyside when she heard what sounded like a waterfall coming from her basement.
She discovered six feet of water downstairs, the result of a flood that likely started because of a backed-up sewage system affected by heavy rain and snow overnight.
“I panicked,” the Mount Royal nursing student said. “I couldn’t see the road or the sidewalk because there was so much water. What worried me the most was the really strong smell of natural gas. I called Enmax and they got the firefighters down here — I didn’t have to do anything, really.”
Jeff Budai of the Calgary Fire Department said 10 to 15 homes in the area suffered water damage.
“When we arrived here this morning there was knee-level water flowing through the streets,” Budai said.
“We’re bringing in a command bus so that as people begin arriving home, we’re here to answer their questions.”
Emergency crews shut down power in the area and closed Memorial Drive near 7th Street.
“I was jumping around lakes and ponds this morning,” said Diane Meadows, a Canada Post deliverer who has worked the Sunnyside route for over 30 years. “The power is off, so I can’t get into buildings.
A lot of this mail is going back to the office today.”
