The Town of Hay River has issued an evacuation alert for Vale Island and West Channel residents as the town braces for a big flooding season.
It is a precautionary notice, intended to put residents on alert and encourage them to prepare their houses for an evacuation order.
“Residents should now prepare their households for a potential evacuation in accordance with Town of Hay River Household Preparedness guidelines,” the Town of Hay River said in an email sent out to residents.
An evacuation order will be released on the town’s Facebook page and through the town’s email alert system, if residents have to evacuate.
Hay River was one of six communities identified as being at an elevated risk of flooding by the GNWT, due to record high water-levels on the Great Slave Lake and high water levels on many of the territory’s rivers.
Hay River’s evacuation shelter, hosted at the town’s Community Centre was approved by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer in April.
Town officials say the community centre shelter will be able to hold 130 residents. The town is also setting up a trailer park where residents can park their RV’s or caravans.
That space will be able to hold up to 30 RV’s, according to Glenn Smith, senior administrative officer for the Town of Hay River.
Notices of an evacuation order and further information about the town’s plans will be released on the Town of Hay River’s social media feeds as well as online.
The alert was issued at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday.
