The GNWT is telling residents to prepare their cabins and houses for flooding this spring. Officials say unprecedented conditions are making it hard to predict how high flooding levels will reach.
The GNWT is warning people that several areas of the territory will likely experience flooding during the spring melt, but couldn’t be more precise about where or to what extent the flooding will be.
Although, they did say that people living in the South Slave region may be particularly at risk of experiencing flooding.
Hunters and trappers with cabins on the Taltson River were reporting their cabins were frozen in, after flooding along the river had pushed water levels into their cabin, with the water freezing in place.
Water levels on Great Slave Lake reached the highest level recorded since monitoring began in the 1930s this past summer, the GNWT reported earlier.
Flows were at or near record high levels for much of the summer on the Tazin, Taltson, Lockhart, Kakisa, and Hay rivers.
Initial modelling suggests water levels on Great Slave Lake will not likely return to normal historical levels for an extended period of time.
“Based on current data, flow rates on the Slave, Tazin and Taltson Rivers, along with water levels in the Great Slave Lake are very high for this time of year,” the statement read.
The territorial government is telling people to prepare their homes and cabins for flooding. Steps residents can take include moving valuables and equipment to a safe place, elevating electrical products and moving carpet, furniture and mattresses.
Real-time water level and flow data for rivers and lakes in the NWT can be found on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Website.
