A flood warning for the Oldman River and its tributaries upstream has prompted officials in Lethbridge county to declare a local state of emergency and officials say water levels could equal those reached in the 1995 flood.
Alberta Emergency Alerts issued a flood warning for the Oldman River Mainstem and all its tributaries upstream of Lethbridge at about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The water levels in the Oldman River are extremely high and residents in the valley are being told to anticipate a potential evacuation order on Wednesday depending on those levels.
Residents are also being urged to move livestock to higher ground as a precaution.
Country officials say they will continue to monitor water levels and forecasters are predicting as much as 150 mm of rain by Wednesday morning for the area.
A flood watch is also in effect for the Castle River, Oldman River upstream from the Oldman Dam, Belly River, Waterton Lake, Lee Creek, Pincher Creek, and the Little Red Deer River.
The watch also includes the Wallaceville area of High River, Crowsnest River, and Willow Creek.
A high streamflow advisory is in effect for the Bow, Oldman, Milk, and South Saskatchewan River basins.
Wallaceville was one of the hardest hit areas in the community of High River during 2013’s flooding.
The whole neighbourhood has been condemned and the province has already bought out a number of homeowners with the eventual intent to return the area to an untouched natural state.
Officials in Lethbridge have evacuated a campground in the river valley and told campers at the Bridge Drive RV Park to pack up and head to higher ground.
Campers have until 2 p.m. to get out of the area. The Canadian Red Cross has offered a place for tent campers to stay. Those in RVs can park in the Enmax north parking lot.
The County of Lethbridge has also reactivated its emergency operations centre to monitor some of the flood areas.
Residents in the affected areas are being asked to take appropriate measures to protect themselves from flooding and to call their local municipal office if they need help.
Late Tuesday afternoon a local state of emergency was also called in the MD of Willow Creek and includes Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Granum, Nanton and Stavely.
The City of Medicine Hat is also at the ready and has activated its Emergency Operations Centre and staff there has begun to construct temporary mitigation measures and is laying sandbags in low-lying areas.
Officials in all of these areas are asking residents to stay away from waterways and river banks as water levels and flows are increasing.
Click HERE for the latest information on advisories and warnings.
