Warm temperatures rolled through southern Alberta in the past few weeks, providing a teaser of the spring season that officially starts on March 20.
With the rising temperatures came melting snow and ice, leading to higher than normal water levels in Airdrie’s creeks and storm ponds.
According to Airdrie Parks team leader Archie Lang, this spring has been business as usual and the City has not had too much trouble with flooding.
“There have been some high water levels in storm ponds, but they have been doing what they are engineered to do, and that is capture and release water into the creek system,” said Lang.
Water has been deeper than normal around the City’s catch basins as debris from snow gathers around the steel grates.
A few pathways near Nose Creek Park have experienced minor flooding according to Lang, but he expects it to clear away sooner than later.
“We put up barricades around those areas for safety and once the water starts to recede back to the creek we’ll remove the barricades to open the path back up,” he said.
High water levels and minor flooding pose a measure of inconvenience while melting snow and ice around the city’s water bodies can be a safety risk to residents and their pets.
The Airdrie Fire Department (AFD) has put out a list of ice safety tips and is advising residents of Rocky View County to take care and be aware of the dangers of ice.
“With the fluctuating temperatures ice gets very dangerous,” said Deputy Chief Linda Masson, AFD. “When we get around the freezing mark (0°C) ice becomes unstable and can collapse even though it may look solid.”
Masson advises that while the ice may appear solid in certain areas, because of the way it melts, it dramatically weakens even as it retains its thickness. Ice that could support a truck in the middle of winter can collapse under the weight of a child when temperatures hover around freezing.
The AFD advises keeping all children and pets away from melting ice and the banks of rivers and creeks.
“When the ice is melting, the water levels are changing and the flow of water can soften the edges of banks,” said Masson. “The water may also be much deeper and faster flowing that usual at this time of year.”
In the event that a person or pet falls through the ice, Masson said that your first reaction should be to call 9-1-1 and yell out for help, and if at all possible stay off the ice yourself.
“Look for a tree branch, or use your belt or scarf or something that the person can grab on to that you can use to pull them out,” said Masson. “Encourage the person to kick up on to the ice as if they’re swimming as you pull them toward you.”
If you are already on the ice when someone goes through, lie down flat to distribute your weight evenly and try to keep your distance from where the ice collapsed and either crawl or roll to move away.
When you pull someone out of the water who has fallen in, try to keep them as warm as possible by wrapping them in a jacket or sweater until help arrives. Masson’s NO. 1 tip for ice safety however, is to just avoid it if possible.
For more tips from the Airdrie Fire Department visit www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=606
