Province continues to support flood response efforts in Wood Buffalo and Mackenzie County

The province continues to support flood response efforts in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and Mackenzie County. Parts of Fort McMurray have reopened.

Flooding, due to ice jams on the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers in Fort McMurray and the Peace River in Mackenzie County, has led to evacuation orders for some residents of Fort McMurray, Fort Vermilion, Little Red River Cree Nation at Garden River and Tallcree First Nation at Beaver Ranch.

Current flood situation

The flood warning for the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers at Fort McMurray is no longer in effect.
An ice jam warning remains in effect on the Athabasca River from the Firebag River to the Peace Athabasca Delta.  
The ice jam on the Clearwater River near Draper released on May 2; water from the Clearwater is flowing freely into the Athabasca River.  The River Forecast Centre does not expect additional flooding to occur on either river.  There is a new ice jam on the Peace River near Garden River.

Evacuation orders

In the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the mandatory evacuation order remains in place for the residents of Garden Lane in Draper.  The order for the remaining community of Draper was lifted on May 2. All other areas previously under order were allowed to return home on May 1; returning residents are being issued bottled water.

Approximately 3680 people whose homes were affected, including 19 residents of Draper, remain evacuated at this time.

Mackenzie County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the residents within the Hamlet of Fort Vermilion that reside east of 50th Street, north of the golf course, River Road and Boreal Housing, and all of North Vermilion (Buttertown).  Re-entry planning for Fort Vermilion is underway.  Little Red River Cree Nation issued an evacuation order on April 28 for Garden River.

As of April 28:
Approximately 700 people in Little Red River Cree Nation have been evacuated.  About 505 people were evacuated from Fort Vermilion, Buttertown and rural Mackenzie County to hotels in High Level and private accommodations.