Hay River: an evacuation alert for riverside properties

The evacuation alert, issued Sunday evening due to the risk of flooding, concerns residents of Corridor, Miron Drive, McBryan Drive, Capital Drive (downtown) and Riverview Drive. This is a precautionary measure, the city says, which could be followed by an evacuation order if necessary.

Hours earlier, Hay River had ordered residents of Paradise Gardens to evacuate. Residents must register online or at the town’s community center.

Over the weekend, the Municipality had also issued evacuation orders for Vale Island and West Channel, noting further flooding was imminent.

Myrtle Graham voluntarily left her Paradise Valley home when the flooding started. She sits on the municipal ice break-up committee where she recently provided an update on weather conditions.

Hay River has seen heavy snowfall for the past few days and a snowfall advisory is still in effect Monday. According to the territorial government, another 2 to 5 cm is expected to fall in the afternoon and the situation should calm down thereafter.

” It’s unbelievable. It’s a storm like we have in January: it’s cold, wet, slippery and you can’t see anything. »

She hopes the water will drain through the East Channel and head towards Great Slave Lake.

Myrtle Graham thinks the city’s response to the situation so far has been very good, given the pressure employees are under. nobody sleepsshe adds.

As the power went out on Sunday night, the city posted on its Facebook page that a transmission line had gone down and the community had to switch to backup power.

Residents of Vale Island particularly affected

Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson said residents are scared and not used to seeing flooding.

People should be anxious. These alerts must be listened to and […] we have to leave Vale Islandshe warns, encouraging those who can to help their neighbors.

On the island, flooding penetrated commercial and residential areas along the East Canal and, to a lesser extent, on the west side.

Glenn Smith, the chief administrative officer, says nearly 400 people live on Vale Island. By Sunday evening, about 250 people had left and registered with the City.

While many others have made the decision to stay, Mr Smith hopes they will change their minds given the dire conditions.

We have to make sure we don’t get into rescue mode, he says, because it takes a lot of resources and of course it’s very risky for these people.

He adds that on Sunday, the City helped evacuate some residents from Paradise Gardens, where the water rose quickly and caused extensive flooding. No one is missing, according to Glenn Smith.

The Municipality also participated in a difficult rescue mission near Enterprise, alongside some city contractors and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The rescued person, who suffered from hypothermia, was taken to hospital on Sunday.

Provide respite

Mila Benoit, director of the Association franco-ténoise du Sud et de l’Ouest (AFTSO), confirms that many people have been evacuated since the weekend. The organization will therefore open its doors between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday to offer, among other things, food, hot chocolate, books and games.

We were looking for a way to offer respite to familiesshe explains, adding that the floods create a lot of stress in the city.

The premises of theAFTSO Franco-Ténois Association of South and Westis in the Godwin Mall, directly across from the center where evacuees check in.

Mila Benoit also notes that a strong mutual aid has emerged. Residents have notably created the Hay River Helps Facebook page where people who need food, shelter or something else can leave a message.

The Soaring Eagle Friendship Center also provides meals, games, and transportation for anyone who needs it.

With information from Loren McGinnis and April Hudson