Saskatchewan’s spring floods are continuing to impact communities across the province, with 11 declaring local states of emergencies, but flows are receding — at least for now, the Water Security Agency (WSA) said.
In an update on the overland flooding on Thursday, the agency said the high flow advisory it issued in April remains in effect. This WSA notice is in addition to several special weather statements issued by Environment Canada for parts of the province, warning of a downpour of rain and strong winds.
“This additional precipitation may lead to increased flows and accelerated snowmelt in areas where snow remains in the northern parts of Saskatchewan. Areas that are currently experiencing active snowmelt or above-normal runoff may see more significant responses, and as a result, water levels on rivers and creeks may rise,” said Leah Clark of the WSA.
Northwest Saskatchewan, including the RM of Meadow Lake, will see the most precipitation, which may transition into snow later in the week, Clark cautioned.
“These conditions may result in rising river and lake levels across the region,” she added.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said it is communicating with the 11 communities where states of local emergencies were declared and is ready to offer support as needed. The number of communities requiring these resources has lowered this week, with the agency reporting 14 states of emergency as of Monday.
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Similar supports are being made available by the province’s Ministry of Highways, according to Dan Palmer, its senior communications consultant.
“Flooding continues affecting portions of the provincial road network, especially as we’re heading here into the Victoria Day long weekend,” said Palmer, who reminded drivers to check the Highway Hotline on their way out of, and back to, the house.
“That fast-moving water its affecting roadways by weakening roadbeds and creating ongoing challenges on the provincial highway network.”
Crews were said to be actively working to temporarily repair Highway 3 and restore two-way traffic at the spot 17 km east of Tisdale ahead of the expected long weekend traffic. It was reduced to single-lane traffic, with a 60 km/h speed limit, after a culvert failure on Wednesday.
The ministry will continue to monitor problematic patches of the roads, including those in areas named as having above-normal runoffs by the WSA, Palmer continued.
Drivers heading to flood-impacted areas should prepare themselves with a 72-hour emergency kit and contingency plan in case it worsens, advised the SPSA.
“This runoff event, we saw record flows in certain areas — especially on the Carrot River. Smoky Burn did see the highest ever water flow recorded, at nearly 1,000 cubic metres per second. Normally this flow would be around 200 (cubic metres per second),” Clark said.
“To put that in perspective, at 1,000 cubic metres per second, that’s enough water to fill Mosaic Stadium to the top in under 20 minutes.”
Jumping ahead in the annual disaster catalogue, the SPSA said it is also readying for fire season as it could potentially kick off early with a man-made fire. It is reminding residents to be mindful of their cigarette butts, once-lit matches and other flammables ahead of any long weekend festivities as winds can exponentially exacerbate fires.
“For the most part, it sounds like it’s going to be a pretty windy, rainy, wet event. If you do find yourself in a dry area and you’re trying to burn, do some spring cleaning or whatnot, just be cognizant of the wind — it can blow those embers pretty quickly if you’re in a grass field area,” said the SPSA’s executive director of land operations, Bryan Chartrand.
“It’s not going to be too rapid of a transition (from flood to fire season) until later on, mid-summer.”
The SPSA’s current forecast expects hot, dry, fire-prone weather to arrive in late June or July.
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