Evacuation alert lifted in Old Crow, Yukon as risk of ice-jam flooding passes
Yukon gov’t says community is no longer on flood watch
An evacuation alert for parts of Old Crow, Yukon, has been lifted, with water levels on the nearby Porcupine River now below flood levels.
“The risk of ice jam flooding has passed. Water levels may go up and down over the next week due to snowmelt, but no flooding is expected,” Yukon’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) said in an update Saturday afternoon.
With the evacuation alert for parts of Old Crow officially rescinded, residents are no longer being asked to stay prepared for a possible evacuation. A reception centre set up for potential evacuees at Chief Zzeh Gittlit School has also been closed, and the school will be open for classes on Monday as usual.
Yukon’s EMO also said that Dump Road, which was closed on Saturday because of flood risk, has reopened to one lane of traffic, and members of the emergency management team in Old Crow are working to remove flood barriers and assess any damage that might have occurred over the weekend.
However, residents are still being asked to conserve water for the next few days.
Yukon’s EMO said in the update that its team will continue to monitor water levels on the Porcupine River.
Officials say updates are regularly posted on the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation’s Facebook page, and on the territorial government’s website.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Yukon officials concerned about possible spring flooding in Old Crow and Klondike Valley, CBC News
United States: Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe, The Associated Press
