CALGARY, Alberta – Alberta’s premier pledged $1 billion Monday to help people recover from floods that devastated parts of the western Canadian province.

The money will be used to support those who have been evacuated, run relief centers and start rebuilding, said Premier Alison Redford.

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Residents are in flood clean-up mode in Calgary, Alberta, on Monday. Alberta’s premier pledged $1 billion to help people recover from floods that devastated parts of the province. The Associated Press

Redford has called it the worst flooding in Alberta’s history and said rebuilding could take 10 years.

Three bodies have been recovered since the flooding began last Thursday in southern Alberta.

The government said it will provide pre-loaded debit cards to displaced residents to help with their immediate housing needs and day-to-day purchases. Those who qualify will receive $1,250 per adult and $500 per child.

Redford said the unforeseen expense means that oil-rich Alberta won’t meet its plans to balance the budget in the coming years.

“The world changed Thursday morning and I think as a Treasury Board we’ve come to terms with that. We think Albertans have come to terms with that.” Redford said. “This is like nothing we have ever faced before and we are up to the challenge.”

Redford said the rebuilding could take 10 years.

“I don’t want to scare people. But when we talk about what’s going to happen, we’re talking about a 10-year plan. And we’re committed to make sure we’re going to take the time to do that right,” she said.

Torrential rain last week filled up creeks and rivers that were unable to contain so much water in such a short time and surged over their banks to inundate communities throughout much of southern Alberta.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said Monday nearly all of the roughly 75,000 people who fled overflowing water from Bow and Elbow rivers can return home. He had announced Sunday that 65,000 could go home. Nenshi said only people who live in the downtown area and in a small area in the Inglewood neighborhood east of the city’s downtown are still being kept out.

Nenshi said people should stay away from the closed section of downtown so that the area can be reopened as soon as possible. He warned that people need to be cautious as they return — many houses won’t have utility service.

People in High River, the community hardest hit by the flooding, didn’t have much reason for optimism. Mayor Emile Blokland said there was still no timeline for when 13,000 evacuees would be able to return.

He said he understood their frustration, but explained that the town’s infrastructure had suffered a “critical blow” and every house needed to be inspected.

Officials in the eastern Alberta city of Medicine Hat said Monday that water levels on the South Saskatchewan River have peaked and that flooding won’t be as severe as initially feared. Roughly 10,000 people were evacuated as the city of 60,000 prepared for the surge of water that swamped Calgary and surrounding areas last week.

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