Montana’s deadly flood a lesson Calgary chose to ignore

Streets in Choteau, Mont., turned into waterfalls during the 1964 flood. More than 30 people died when rivers raged in a storm eerily similar to the one in Alberta in June 2013. Photo, courtesy Great Falls Tribune

Bow River Shuttles writes: "If you read only one article this month on the proposed flood diversion structures for the Elbow and Bow Rivers, make it this one."

Montana’s deadly flood a lesson Calgary chose to ignore

By Matt McClure, Calgary Herald June 16, 2014

".....In the immediate aftermath of the 2013 floods in Alberta, then environment minister Diana McQueen would remark that “no report or recommendations looking at the lessons of the past could have prepared us for this event.”

But the historical record clearly shows that over the years engineering experts had called time and again for restrictions on development in vulnerable, low-lying areas of Calgary in an effort to limit damages from the inevitable disaster.

Archival documents also show that in the face of stiff opposition from residents of riverside neighbourhoods who feared those curbs would cause property values to plummet, civic and provincial politicians balked at banning further building in the flood plain....."

Read article here: http://bit.ly/1uDCIMQ