By Canadian Press

Kenney offers support to Fort McMurray as floods chase people from downtown

Apr 28, 2020 | 11:30 AM

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Officials in Fort McMurray say a 25-kilometre ice jam that caused major flooding and forced about 12,000 people from their homes in the city’s downtown is shrinking.

But they say it remains a critical situation because the Clearwater River is still rising and the Athabasca River has only dropped by four centimetres.

Don Scott, mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, says the ice jam is still about 22 1/2 kilometres long.

He says it has caused the worst flooding in the region in 100 years and will have a devastating impact on the downtown.

A second state of local emergency is in effect on top of one declared last month because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Scott says he has met with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and talked to federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, and both offered to help.

However, the municipality has not asked the province to make a formal request to the federal government.

“We made a large series of asks of the premier,” said Scott. “That included more RCMP support. It includes things like tiger dams, potentially sandbags and other support going forward.”

Kenney and Environment Minister Jason Nixon toured the area on Monday and said the province is ready to help.

“We took a flight over the city and saw the impact. It’s very significant,” Kenney said during a news conference Monday night.

“This, of course, adds to … a community that has struggled with the fire (four) years ago, with several years of economic adversity and now with the coronavirus pandemic and now these floods.”

The city’s entire downtown is under an evacuation order due to high water caused by spring ice breakup on the rivers in the area.

Northern Lights Regional Health Centre and the nearby Grayling Terrace neighbourhood are exempt from the order.

More than 5,000 people have registered at two evacuation centres and the municipality says that number is expected to grow because about 12,000 people live in the areas being evacuated.

Kenney said officials will work with the municipality to request the federal government’s support if it’s needed.

The federal government said it is ready to help.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Fort McMurray during this difficult time,” said an emailed statement Blair. 

“While no formal requests have been made, our government is ready to help when called upon.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020

The Canadian Press