Pincher Creek had quite a few floods while I lived there. '96, '99, '05....maybe one more year. In '05 I was in high school and the fire department asked for help to sand bag. Guys with trucks helped deliver the sandbags, and at one point we had to get police escort because certain people in a trailer park that was beyond hopeless to save were pretty pissed off that emergency crews just told them to evacuate without really trying to save anything. Their situation really was hopeless. Right beside a fast rising river at pretty much the lowest part in town. What are you going to do? Someone had to make the call that sandbagging efforts had to go elsewhere.
The point is that in an emergency everyone has their own sense of what is important to save, and what isn't. For someone who is in the process of watching their house float away, the fact that the Saddledome is getting so much media attention can be a real gear grinder. But there is nothing you can do.
I don't live in Alberta anymore, so I can volunteer my help, but judging from the pictures and comments on Twitter and even here on CP, people are doing their absolute best to help those that need help.
The picture of the cars lined up going through a community from house to house doing what needs to be done is pretty special by itself. I'm honestly not surprised. Albertans are a special breed.
|