From Fire to Flooding

Red Cross, already on scene in Slave Lake, shifts efforts from wildfires to floods.

After a devastating wildfire that destroyed nearly a third of the town, Slave Lake, Alberta, is now facing torrential downpours and flooding. Heavy rain hit the region on Friday, and has already destroyed homes and swamped forest areas. Stretches of nearby roads were shut down after being flooded by both water and deer, who had nowhere else to go. Canadian Red Cross workers, who were already on the scene helping the town recover from the devastating wildfires in May, shifted their efforts to flood response operations. Even before the flood, the damage caused to Slave Lake by the wildfires already made this the second most costly disaster in Canadian history, with an estimated $700 million in damages. Flood warnings are being issued across the region, as more rain is expected this weekend.