Hay River has lifted the evacuation order put in place on Monday night to protect residents of Vale Island and the West Channel as the river threatened to flood.
The order was officially lifted at 9:40am on Wednesday. More than 300 displaced residents are now allowed to return home, the Town of Hay River said.
Town officials have asked residents who spent the last two nights in hotels to check out. If people need assistance getting home, they can call the registration centre at 833-699-0188 for help.
“Note that water levels are still high and ice and other debris along the riverbanks present risks. Activity along the riverbanks should be avoided,” said Glenn Smith, the Town’s assistant senior administrative officer, in an email on Wednesday morning.
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“The possibility of any localized evacuation is low. There is no more ice to come from upstream, so the likelihood of any jams occurring is minimal.”
No significant flood was reported during the 36 hours for which residents were evacuated.
“We now have flow of water through the West Channel onto the lake. The East Channel is still jammed, and it will take a while to disperse,” added Wednesday morning’s breakup report.
The emergency measures team plans to continue monitoring the Hay River until both channels are flowing freely to the lake.
