Edmonton faces $20-$30 million cleanup bill from summer storms

The City of Edmonton is bracing for a significant financial impact from its recent summer storms, with cleanup costs estimated to range between $20 million and $30 million. City manager Eddie Robar stated that this is the first time in his tenure that the aftermath of summer storms has proven more costly than winter ones.

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I think when you look at the trees and the wind and the rain, all of these things are impacting to create some damaging circumstances for our city and how we get through that is important.

The extensive damage, including downed branches and fallen trees, has overwhelmed city crews. In response, the City of Calgary has extended a helping hand, dispatching 12 urban forestry staff, including landscape horticulturalists and trained fallers, along with other personnel and equipment. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas emphasized the importance of mutual support between the cities, stating, "It’s to the credit of Edmontonians that they’ve always had our back, and it’s really important for us as Calgarians to have Edmonton’s back."

Robar acknowledged the crucial assistance from Calgary, highlighting that debris, such as limbs blocking drainage systems on roads like Connors Road, needs urgent removal to prevent future issues. While Edmonton will reimburse Calgary for the support, the immediate focus is on clearing the damage caused by the relentless storms.

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It’s to the credit of Edmontonians that they’ve always had our back, and it’s really important for us as Calgarians to have Edmonton’s back.

Despite the substantial cleanup costs, there are currently no plans to adjust the upcoming budget to accommodate the unexpected rainfall expenses. The city intends to utilize its financial stabilization reserve to cover these one-time costs.

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Some of the problems we did have recently, especially with Connors Road, was a lot of limbs that were blocking drainage and things like that, trying to get that all cleaned up so that we don’t have the same problems in the future.