Fort Good Hope has been placed under a state of emergency as water levels rise in the community.
Speaking with CKLB, Roger Plouffe, the director of emergency services in Fort Good Hope, said seven houses have been impacted, with residents having already been moved to higher ground.
A small charter community, Fort Good Hope sits on the banks of the Mackenzie River in the Sahtu region. Fire crews and regional staff have been responding to the flooding.
Flooding has impacted fuel and water services in the community, with work just beginning on restoring them. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has sent Fuel Services to assess the potential flood damage in Fort Good Hope.
The fuel tanks have been emptied and sewer tanks have been pumped to avoid contamination with flooding water.
“The RCMP, with help from the Rangers, have secured and sealed the houses,” a spokesperson for EMO said in a statement. “The community remains at high risk.”
The Regional Emergency Management Organization had moved resources away from a couple of communities to focus on responding to flooding in Fort Good Hope last week after EMO had spotted an ice jam present downriver near the community.
As breakup continues along the Mackenzie River, a number of communities across the Sahtu region have been on flood watch for the majority of May.
Communities, including Tulita, Aklavik, and Fort McPherson, have been preparing for potential flooding.
The EMO recommended in their latest advisory that Aklavik residents make sure they know their community’s plan for evacuation. The community is confirming its plans for a contingency shelter should it be needed.
