Key Takeaways:
- A village in the Northwest Territories has been ordered to evacuate about 3,500 residents due to dangerously high water levels that have caused catastrophic floods and destruction.
- The N.W.T. government announced at a news conference on Thursday that no injuries or missing individuals had been reported as a result of the flooding.
About 3,500 people have been told to leave a town in the Northwest Territories because of dangerously high water levels that have caused major flooding and destruction.
Late Wednesday, residents of Hay River, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake just north of the Alberta-N.W.T. border, were advised to seek higher ground, drive to Yellowknife, or register at the town’s community hall.
“Some got the very little warning and had to respond fast to keep alive,” Premier Caroline Cochrane as well as Municipal Affairs Minister Shane Thompson stated during a statement Thursday.
“Residents and communities in the Northwest Territories have been working hard for months to prepare for possible flooding this spring. Certain people’s greatest fears were fulfilled last week when (ice) disintegration began, and waters rose to never-before-seen levels in some regions.”
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The municipality has monitored the Hay River, which has lately been flooded by rain and snowmelt. Another push and release of ice, according to a community website alert, has led the water to climb even higher.
According to the territory’s daily bulletin, the water level has risen 1.7 meters in the last few days.
“Right now, water levels are quite unpredictable due to ice in the canal.” The update stated that “rapid changes in water levels are possible.” “Water levels in the Town of Hay River and the K’atl’odeeche First Nation rose significantly due to the ice shift.”
According to Cochrane, even when the water recedes, the government has stated that it will continue to cooperate with communities to focus on recovery.
“Until then, please continue to follow your leaders’ and emergency responders’ advice and recommendations. Residents’ safety is their first focus.
Because of its importance as a transportation and communications hub, Hay River is known as the “Hub of the North.” It serves as a staging hub for commodities being shipped farther into the region, as well as the commercial fishery’s heart.
During a news conference on Thursday, the N.W.T. government stated that no injuries or missing persons had been recorded due to the flooding. According to the report, some inhabitants have elected not to leave their houses.
Flooding has forced around 1,100 inhabitants of the Dene Tha’ First Nation in northern Alberta to evacuate since the weekend.
“Nearly all of Chateh’s 1,100 residents have left, with about 50 staying in the town – many working with the response effort,” said Kyle Fournier, an Indigenous Services Canada spokesman.
Flooding has also prompted local emergency alerts in the Little Red River Cree First Nation.
“Based on preliminary findings, the current flooding appears to be worse than the flood of 2021,” Fournier stated.
“Over the following two to three days, water levels are likely to climb. Water levels are expected to drop below minimum standards in six to seven days once they have reached their peak.”
Source: CTV News
