Flood season is receding in much of Saskatchewan, as attention shifts to repairing roads, homes, and other damaged infrastructure following an intense spring thaw, the province said in an update.
Receding flows in most of Saskatchewan’s waterways were reported in the flood forecast shared by the Water Security Agency (WSA), except for in the Churchill River and Lac La Ronge, Shawn Jaques, the president and CEO of the WSA said.
The agency is monitoring those communities, he continued.
Four communities have active states of emergency in Saskatchewan, said Jeff Dedekker, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) communications manager.
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That figure is down from the 11 emergencies reported last week, and significantly lower than the 45 declarations reported by the SPSA earlier this spring.
“This flooding season has proven to be challenging for many communities in our province,” SPSA minister Michael Weger told reporters.
“We know recovery takes time, and we remain committed to supporting Saskatchewan’s communities every step of the way.”
Sections of Saskatchewan’s roads and highways remain closed due to high waters. The Ministry of Highways said it has crews working to protect the roads from floods, while others are repairing flood-damaged paths.
It is working to restore access as swiftly as possible and has ensured there are routes for northern residents who need to leave their communities, the ministry said.
Some of the temporary fixes are temporarily limiting traffic to a single lane.
Homes, businesses, farms, and critical infrastructure all suffered from the overland flooding, Weger said. The province is still calculating the price tag for these damages, the community safety minister continued, adding that determining this cost is a “work in progress.”
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