Editor:
The phrase “100-year-flood event,” or words to that effect, were used at least twice in last week’s Outlook (July 18).
Certainly it is the worst flood seen in recent memory. But there have been at least four major flood events in Canmore in the past 100 years. Another few hours or rain or another degree in temperature rise may have created completely different scenarios in any one of these events, including the recent flood in June.
Considering development has existed in Canmore for less than 150 years, it seems premature to settle in with the comfortable notion that we have the worst this valley has to offer when it comes spring runoff. Particularly when the general manager of municipal infrastructure, Gary Buxton, says that the long-term implication of flooding in alluvial fans of the local creeks “are not yet known.” Meaning, the studies have not been done.
Why Cougar Creek was allowed to develop to the extent that it has without these studies is a question that bares investigation. Clearly, Cougar Creek’s alluvial fan is much larger than just the area devastated last June 19-21.
We have no idea if last month’s disaster was the result of a 100-year-flood event or not. Looking at a larger scale of time, it could have been a one-in-25 or one-in-10-year event.
We have little information as to how the tributaries around Canmore behaved in the 1,000 years leading up to the arrival of the railroad. In addition to that, we are dealing with federal and provincial governments that denounce the issue of climate change.
Every year, we see increases in extreme weather events around the globe. Since Hurricane Katrina, these events have become more common and more destructive. Last week, a tornado touched down in southern New Brunswick. Catastrophic storms are becoming the norm, not the exception.
When it comes to the topic of climate change, it’s prudent to ignore the statements of those parties who have a vested interest in either its denial or its exploitation.
It’s best to pay attention to the industries that are dealing with the reality of climate change, such as insurance, and the military, who are both preparing for increasingly severe weather events in the future.
Tim Murphy,
Canmore
