Flood waters recede in southeastern Alberta

As the swollen South Saskatchewan River and other waterways recede, residents in southeastern Alberta are taking stock of flood damage.

A state of emergency remains in Medicine Hat but the focus has turned to recovery and restoration.

"We are breathing easier," said Ron Robinson, the city's fire chief, on Tuesday. "Certainly this is going to give us time to activate our plan and get back into these areas and clean them up and make them safe."

Torrential rain, which began last Thursday, only started tapering off this week. More than 150 millimetres of precipitation saturated the area, flooding highways, homes, businesses, acreages and fields.

Lance Dirk, who retired last month from a job with the City of Medicine Hat, saw his house cracked in half when nearby Gros Ventre Creek roared inland.

"We lost everything," said Dirk on Tuesday.

Vicki Hadland watched McAlpine Creek rush its banks and wipe out her acreage near Walsh, a hamlet close to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

Theflood washed away the foundation of her house, which then tipped over and slid in the water.

"The walls went out. And I just felt [the water] hit the door on a dead run, it took my heel and I felt the wind on the back of my neck," she said.

"All the old-timers say this has never come anywhere near your house."

Highway closure hurts businesses

Large stretches of the Trans-Canada Highway, also known as Highway 1, between Alberta and Saskatchewan was still submerged or under repair on Tuesday.

The disruption to a route normally taken by 5,000 vehicles a day is hurting local businesses.

"It's actually been really, really slow since the highway was shut down. We get paid minimum wage so we rely on our tips and in order to get that you have to have customers in here," said Trish Huber, a waitress at a truck stop.

Geoff Shoesmith, who owns the Trailside restaurant and gas station in Walsh, said the highway closure is costing more than $4,000 to $8,000 in lost business daily during the current tourist season.

"We are losing about $1,000 a day in income. It all depends with our tourists how fast they get No. 1 open," added Roy Dawson, who watched as the road into his nearly deserted RV park was repaired.

The Ross Creek Golf Course in Medicine Hat has already cancelled nine tournaments this week, said Lisa VanDerKooy, the course's special events co-ordinator.

Only local traffic was being allowed on the westbound lanes of Highway 1 between Medicine Hat and Walsh. Motorists, such as livestock owners, trying to enter Saskatchewan via Highway 1 were asked to contact that province's Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure at (306) 630-4246.

A long detour was the only alternative to other drivers crossing the border.

Cleanup underway

Restoration and cleanup companies are warning residents to be wary of people trying to take advantage of their situation.

"We've heard from different customers that we've dealt with of people going knocking door to door, offering cards and saying they can clean up. That's just not they way it is. We're always called in by insurance companies," said Jamie Mackie of FirstOnSite Restoration.

His crews have been called into help clean up more than 130 homes in the Medicine Hat area. Business is so brisk Mackie had to bring in staff from Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.