The flood damage could have been devastating, but one Redwood Meadows resident said it was the determination and love of the community that kept trouble at bay.
Robin Spooner, whose family has lived in the community for three years, said he first noticed the ground saturation on the evening of June 19. Seeing that, he said he thought the neighbourhood would get a little wet.
“Never in a million years did I expect to see what I saw,” said Spooner, who lives in Redwood Meadows with his wife Erin.
What he saw was his community working together against the fast-moving Elbow River.
“I saw 18-feet-high waves rising up like tornados of water,” said Spooner, owner of Spooner’s Safety Services.
“But I also saw people recognize how important ‘today’ is. It was people loving the moment, themselves, their neighbours, their community. It was powerful. Powerful enough to stop (fast-moving) water.”
Spooner was one of a number of Redwood Meadows residents who worked tirelessly for days to prevent devastating flooding damage.
They filled, carried and piled sandbags, they kept an eye out for looters and they fixed pumps. In the words of Spooner, the community is full of “superstars.”
A call for help for sandbagging for a second threat to the berm June 22 drew a huge response from outside the community.
Fatigue and communication were the biggest challenges for Spooner throughout the whole ordeal. Both result in emotional responses, he explained, which leads to an inability to make rational decisions.
He said he managed to stay awake for days to combat the Elbow River, finally crashing for the night June 23.
He earned his sleep.
Together with other residents, emergency and fire services from Redwood Meadows and neighbouring areas, and local RCMP, Spooner helped to limit the damage to the community.
“This place is here because of the strong sense of community,” he remarked, resting a broken foot — an injury he sustained while helping a neighbour move a stuck truck.
“The greatest thing is watching everyone come together — it’s in my top-10 things I’ve seen in my lifetime.”
