Went for a drive today, down south of Strathmore, out to the river just below the Speargrass Golf Course. The Wyndham-Carseland campground looks like a total washout. The water breached out to the little store on the corner - there were a ton of people working and we asked if they wanted more help but they said they have tons of help. The water was even beyond them, way into the pasture lands bordering the campground.
Lots of houses on the other side of the road from them, that looked to be in the same boat - they have the road on that side completely blocked off, so we couldn't find out if any one in the homes needed clean up help. Might make another trip out tomorrow and see if we can help out there, to start. Easier to get back to town to run my kid to the hospital for her treatments.
We could see what looks to be the high water mark on the bridge columns but I don't think it came over top. On the other side of the bridge though, where the store is, you can see that it was over top of the roadway there. Lots of picnic tables smushed up against the fence - even a child's booster seat/car seat. Lots of debris on the river banks, some of which must have come from upstream. I can only imagine what's churning in the weir there right now. Lots of big trees just pelting along in the river.
We didn't go to the riverbanks - don't know why anyone would, it looks like quicksand that would suck you under in a flat minute, never mind that it's highly unstable, most likely. There's a high spot on the other side, off the highway, that's a look out point, which is where we stopped for a minute.
Strathmore is on the same water restriction levels as Calgary, since we're on their water. Driving around, looks like everyone is complying, which is good.
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