MOOSE JAW – Ice jams are preventing the Moose Jaw River from flowing normally, causing water to spill over the banks and flood nearby homes.
One of the hardest hit neighbourhoods is Churchill Park, where homes sit in the floodway.
Moose Jaw’s Deputy Fire Chief, Brian Wilson, said residents in the river valley often have sump pumps, backflow valves or berms for times like this.
“Lots of these houses are used to flooding on an annual basis. Lots of these owners have measures in place to try and deal with the flooding.”
Rolanda Busch has lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years. Her street has avoided the rising water so far. She said there’s always a safety concern, but flooding is nothing the residents haven’t overcome before.
“We are a very tight community down here. If somebody calls, anyone will go help,” she said.
Some of her neighbours did, however, choose to leave their homes, including a family with young children and an elderly man.
Carolena Forbes helped her 80-year-old friend pack up after SaskPower had to shut off electricity to his house.
“He wanted to get some of the stuff out of the basement before it totally flooded. It just kept coming. It sounded like a waterfall,” she said. Forbes estimated the basement had over four feet of water in it Wednesday afternoon.
At that point, about 10 residents had chosen to leave, and received assistance from firefighters in getting to safety. In some parts of Churchill Park, the water level was neck-height.
Those who chose to leave were greeted by the Salvation Army at the evacuation site.
Major Mervyn Halvorsen volunteers with the non-profit organization. He said he would stay on site as long as rescue crews continued to work.
The Salvation Army offered food and shelter to first responders, as well as anyone being displaced.
“There have been no requests for lodging, so far everyone has a plan. They’re staying with family or friends,” he said.
Deputy Chief Wilson said he wished there would have been more time for residents to prepare.
“What’s unusual is just the speed with which we got notice that this was happening. It certainly wasn’t something we predicted far enough in advance.”
That certainly was the case in River Park Campground in the Wakamow Valley.
Gerry Norris has been a landscaper there for decades. He said after flooding two years ago, the campground developed a plan to try and save the buildings should the river spill its banks again.
But while staff were putting flood barriers in place, things changed drastically.
“We were filling those bags with water to stop the flood and around 7 o’clock all hell broke loose. The parking lot over here filled up in one minute,” he said.
Now the flood barriers sit half full, unable to protect the buildings they were designed to keep dry.
Meanwhile, the city is already looking ahead to the future, according to Deputy Mayor Don Mitchell.
“The city will likely be applying under the provincial flood assistance on behalf of those affected,” he said.
For now, officials will keep a close watch on the water level and be ready to assist anyone that feels they’re no longer safe.
Comments