'I didn't go home for three days': Canmore residents look back on flood 10 years later

10 years ago, the rain began to fall over the Rockies, as three weather systems combined to dump a massive volume of water onto an already deep snow pack.

10 years ago, the rain began to fall over the Rockies, as three weather systems combined to dump a massive volume of water onto an already deep snow pack.

Within hours, Calgary was on alert – and the mountain communities of Canmore and Exshaw were dealing with a torrent of rock and debris knocking out roads, and tearing away houses.

Over the ensuing decade, much changed, But despite the time that passed, some memories remain as fresh as ever.

"I didn't go home for three days," said Sally Caudill, the CAO for the Town of Canmore. "And I didn't go home the second day because the road to my house washed out."

Over the span of 36 extraordinary hours, roughly 220 millimetres of rain fell on the mountains, dissolving a heavy spring snowpack and unleashing a torrent of water and debris that tore apart homes and highways.