Elk Island National Park closes due to flooding and storm damage
Elk Island National Park, just east of Edmonton, has temporarily closed due to flooding and storm damage.
In a notice posted to its website, Parks Canada said the entire park has been closed because of flooding, downed trees and other hazardous conditions.
“Visitor safety is Parks Canada’s top priority,” the notice stated.
“We are taking steps to address the situation and to reopen the park to visitors as soon as possible.”
The closure follows the powerful storm that swept through the Edmonton region on Saturday, July 25, bringing destructive winds, heavy rain, and localized flooding. Thousands of people attending Post Malone’s concert at Commonwealth Stadium were forced to shelter before the show was ultimately cancelled because of the severe weather.
The storm is just one in a string of wet weather events that have totally soaked the Edmonton area this summer, with the city already shattering its seasonal rainfall record.
In a typical summer, Edmonton receives about 213 to 214 millimetres of rain across June, July, and August. But according to Jennifer Kowal, an operational meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), some weather stations have already recorded more than 500 millimetres this summer.
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The previous record was set in 1953, when 417 millimetres of rain fell. Edmonton’s 10 wettest summers have recorded between 330 and 410 millimetres.
Kowal said the unusually wet conditions have also helped fuel the region’s frequent thunderstorms.
Meteorologists use the acronym MIST to describe the four key ingredients needed for thunderstorms: moisture, instability, shear, and a trigger. This summer, Kowal said, moisture has been the defining factor.
“Because there’s so much water on the ground, you just have more antecedent moisture than you normally would ever have,” Kowal told Daily Hive.
While the region has seen an exceptionally stormy start to the season, Kowal said August is typically warmer and drier than June and July, with forecasts suggesting conditions should gradually return to something more seasonal.
However, before that happens, the ground needs some time to dry out.
You can find the latest updates on Elk Island National Park’s status on its website.