In 1997 the ex and I had to go to Winnipeg in the summer. A few months prior, they had another flood. The area is prone to them about every 40-50 years. The locals told me that a lot of the water had subsided and yet, I stood amazed at the sheer volume of it. I was shown a bridge that was just a few feet above the water line. They said at the height of the flooding the bridge was submerged. Usually, ships pass beneath it.
The difference between Cagary and Winnipeg's situation is that the former rarely experience these events. It more like they weren't ready. Winnipeg has long time ago installed anti-flooding measures.
There are some similarities to New Orleans; different cause, but same effect