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Few people were concerned when the rain began in the Slave Lake area Sunday morning.

But then it intensified, and then came the wind.

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Come Monday afternoon “things started getting a little sketchy,” said town Mayor Tyler Warman.

In a 48-hour period close to 106 mm of rain fell and rivers rose.

At 2 a.m. Tuesday, residents in the Eating Creek and Marten Beach area were told to leave their properties within 30 minutes before egress roads in the area became undrivable because of deteriorating conditions.

It was a voluntary evacuation order, but an evacuation nonetheless.

An Alberta Emergency Alert said the level of the Marten River was rising “due to heavy rainfall and log jams and is causing localized flooding” and residents were being advised to seek accommodations outside the flood area or at a local hotel.

Overland flooding shut Highway 2 and Mooney Creek Bridge was closed for the better part of Tuesday. Sawridge Road was also closed due to high water levels.