With walls, berms and raised roads, Fort McMurray is working to keep its river from overflowing [Video]

Ever since the devastating spring floods of 2020 in Fort McMurray, the northeastern Alberta community has been shoring up its defences against rising rivers.

Now, officials with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) say Fort McMurray is better prepared for future floods.

“From a permanent structural mitigation standpoint, there’s been significant works completed,” said James Semple, manager of RMWB’s project management office.

It has spent $119 million on flood mitigation so far; the remaining work that is planned will bring the total expenditure to about $270 million, according to a statement on the RMWB’s website.

Semple said the aim is to prepare the community for another one-in-100-year flood — which is what Fort McMurray experienced in 2020 — as well as a one-in-200-year flood, in which the river would rise by another half-metre or so.

Preparation means damages to residents and businesses would be appropriately mitigated, he said.