Officials in Jean Marie River report the ice broke on the Mackenzie River at the community early on Saturday morning.
Residents should “remain prepared for evacuation” as water begins to flow freely, a statement posted to the community’s Facebook page shortly after 10am on Saturday read.
The ice broke at 4am, the community reported, with “no evidence of a significant jam.” The centre of the river was said to be flowing steadily with ice buildup on the banks.
“Water levels at the monitoring area have fluctuated throughout the morning,” the statement read.
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“Levels rose just above the evacuation alert marker for a period this morning, but have since receded.”
A further update is expected at 3pm.
Jean Marie River was badly affected by flooding in 2021, with virtually the entire community displaced and many homes needing to be repaired, relocated, rebuilt or replaced.
