In April 2020, severe flooding in Fort McMurray and the surrounding area, including Mackenzie County, affected at least 25 communities, and caused more than 13,000 residents to evacuate. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) declared a state of local emergency due to high water levels, river ice jams, and flooding along the Athabasca, Snye and Clearwater Rivers, and the Peace River in Mackenzie County. Damage assessments suggested more than 2,000 structures were impacted by spring flooding. Some residents were still rebuilding after the 2016 wildfires in the RMWB, while also coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the request of local authorities in the RMWB, Fort McMurray, and Fort Vermilion, Red Cross helped with registration, one-time re-entry financial support, clean-up kits, and grants to small businesses and local community organizations. Additionally, Red Cross assisted with support to households with additional barriers in transitioning to longer-term interim housing and providing navigation support for the Government of Alberta’s Disaster Recovery Program.
Fort McMurray and Area Floods