RCMP SALUTE INSIDE!
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! Volume 105 Issue 47
Major Major Flooding Flooding
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 s
Already waterlogged by recent rains, Tofield &by Already waterlogged receives another& area recent rains, Tofield downpour early Monday area receives another downpour early Monday
Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
The town of Tofield experienced severe flooding on Monday, July 24, when a major downpour occurred in the early hours. There were varied reports on how much rain the town got. “Our responses have been somewhat different. We've heard in some areas five inches, we've heard in some areas three-and-a-half to four,” said Town of Tofield Assistant CAO Jeff Edwards. “Some of our folks [town employees] started work at around two o'clock this morning in order to try and mitigate as best they could, in water. Now, unfortunately with the volume of water that we had in the amount of time, it's very difficult to try and mitigate water ponding, or water pooling. And once again, I would say flooding, or ponding, was localized. It is certainly not an ideal situation for any residence or any business that may have suffered from that. However, once again, with the volume of water that we had in that short period of time, it was very difficult to try and navigate in any capacity,” Edwards said. The town had to temporarily close two roads due to the excess water. “As of eight o'clock this morning, there were certainly two [road closures] that I was aware of and that being 55 Ave and Hwy 834, and then the other being at the end of 50th and 51st. To land-
mark you, that would be the corner heading east from the fire hall to the four way stop, and then the other being - going south to the carwash and the Shell station,” said Edwards. “I don't think any infrastructure, regardless of whether it would be the City of Edmonton or the Town of Tofield, would have been prepared to handle that volume of water. I think, are we set up in a capacity to handle under ideal circumstances? Yes, but this was anything but that,” Edwards said. About flooded basement complaints Edwards said, “we have received a number of in-person and telephone calls today.” Conversely, Ryley and Holden areas saw very little rain but experienced lots of lightning. “It was constant and lighting up the room. The thing I found odd about the storm and the last few storms, actually, was how much lightning there was, and this time I thought it wouldn’t end. It went on for hours,” said a Village of Holden resident. Some rural residents southwest of Holden got a half inch of rain, while others living in the Village of Holden got only a sprinkling. Ryley resident Cyndy Heslin said they got some rain, but not nearly as much as Tofield experienced. “Lots of thunder and lightning with very strong winds. We have some rain, but no huge oceans or puddles like Tofield. “Our power did go out for several hours in the night,” Heslin said.
Arnold Brownridge, a local Tofield resident, sent this photo from his house Monday morning (above). He estimates they got about six inches of rain last night. He said he watched kids out in the soccer field swimming with inflatable boats.