EDMONTON- A state of emergency remained in effect in the Town of Devon Sunday.
Due to high water levels on the North Saskatchewan River, the emergency was declared at 3:30 Saturday afternoon, as a precautionary measure to assist with the controlled evacuation of low lying areas.
Since then, the Devon Lions Campground and Voyageur Park have been evacuated and are closed. Roughly 2,000 people were forced to leave the campground.
“(I am) extremely proud of our emergency services personnel, both RCMP and the fire department, in how quickly we were able to evacuate the campground,” said Mayor Anita Fisher.
The road to the Devon water treatment plant has been closed. Prospector Point Park has also been closed.
Area residents have been instructed by local authorities to evacuate to one of five evacuation sites:
Site 1: Baptist Church (River Dr.) – this evacuation site is full
Site 2: Downtown Mall (Devon Public Library) parking lot, located at #101 – 17 Athabasca Avenue
Site 3: Devon Community Centre at 20 Haven Avenue
Site 4: Overflow parking next to RCMP – 15 Columbia Ave W
Site 5: Extra Foods parking lot; 16 Superior Street
River valley trails have been closed and the town is urging residents to move to high ground, stay away from the river, streams and other bodies of water that may create dangerous situations.
The move comes after a flood watch was issued for the town Friday. Water levels on the North Saskatchewan River have started to rise, and City of Edmonton officials say the river is expected to peak sometime Sunday afternoon.
For the latest information on the situation in Devon and other areas of Alberta, visit the Alberta Emergency website or follow Alberta Emergency on Twitter.
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