Rising

When river levels in southern Alberta surged far beyond expectations in June 2013, an area the size of Nova Scotia was flooded, causing unprecedented devastation. An elderly woman and her son are forced to flee as their home begins to give way to the water. A homeless man searches the dark, empty streets for shelter. Emergency responders use boats to pluck residents from half-submerged houses. Soldiers sandbag to rescue houses from erosion, while communities large and small rally to help their neighbours. These extraordinary portraits from a disaster form a glimpse of the remarkable time when Calgary and southern Alberta were brought to their knees and found a way to rise up again.