Flood Update:
An evacuation order for part of the hamlet of Robb was issued on June 19 due to flooding in the lower part of Robb, and a Shelter in Place alert for Peers was issued on June 20 due to the bridge in Peers being compromised.

Yellowhead County asks residents to stay safe and make responsible decisions. Do not drive through moving water, do not travel across flooded roadways as you do not know the conditions underneath, or travel across flooded bridges, and take extra care on all bridges as there is the potential for structural damage during a flood incident.

Residents need to use extreme caution around water from flooding. Stay away from riverbanks – moving water is cutting under the banks, and they can give way to fast-moving, dangerous water. 

Sandbags and structural protection guards are being set up in communities and rural and hamlet homes as firefighters can get to areas affected by the flooding rivers, streams and onto lower-lying areas, roads, and bridges. The orange structural protection guards, known as tiger dams, prevent water movement in critical areas to protect infrastructure and homes. Please do not touch or tamper with the guards, as damaged guards could result in the loss of structures and flooding of the area.

Please report any road, bridge, or infrastructure concerns to our office at 780-723-4800. Report any concerns related to highways to Alberta Transportation at 780-723-8250. If you have specific concerns about your property due to visible rising flood waters, please contact 1-833-334-4630. If you need immediate help, call 9-1-1.

Wildfire Update:

While the current flooding is our foremost concern, we also want to remind residents that there are active wildfires in Yellowhead County. Alberta Wildfire and their crews continue to battle the fires in Yellowhead County even during these times of high precipitation. 

In a positive update from Alberta Wildfire, the fire south of Edson/Carrot Creek/Niton Junction (EWF031) is now classified as Being Held as of June 20, 2023. This is in addition to Evansburg and Wildwood area fires (WCU001/002) being held as of June 16, 2023, and the Shiningbank area fire (EWF035) was classified as Being Held on June 18, 2023.

According to Alberta Wildfire, the classification of Being Held means that there will be no unexpected growth under the current weather conditions and the resources available. However, firefighters anticipate the possibility of a small amount of spread on some of these fires due to their size. 

For a detailed update on what they are doing, you can visit https://srd.web.alberta.ca/edson-area-update.