| Comments | On April 23rd, Mackenzie County, AB, issued an ice jam watch for the Peace River from Sunny Valley to Fort Vermilion. By the end of the day, the county declared a State of Local Emergency as it was expected that the ice run would reach the community of Fort Vermilion within the day. With this, an evacuation alert was issued for residents in low lying areas in North Vermilion and Fort Vermilion. The watch was soon upgraded to a warning, and the evacuation was expanded to include more of the community. Roughly 450 residents were evacuated. On the morning of 27th, the Peace River breached its banks and began to flood the communities. Flood waters rose 2.5 metres and caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and local infrastructure. The waters receded on April 29th, and residents were allowed home on May 2nd. As a result of the flooding, some homes were damaged beyond repair and are being re-built on higher ground to reduce the risk of future flood losses. |