Wet zone: limited access to hard-hit neighbourhoods in High River

HIGH RIVER, Alta. – Some people from the most flooded neighbourhoods in High River are being allowed to go in to assess their homes and maybe pick up a few belongings.

Alberta reconstruction officials say they’ve managed to pump out water in one district more quickly than expected.

Shane Schreiber, head of the High River recovery task force, is warning people that they should brace themselves because many of their houses are badly damaged.

He is also advising them to get structural advice from engineers as to whether their homes are safe to live in.

A bus tour is being organized for an adjacent neighbourhood still under water so that people can at least get a look at their properties.

In Calgary, a state of emergency is expected to be lifted at the exact hour it was called 13 days ago, when the city and much of southern Alberta was hit by the worst flooding in the province’s history.