Watch the video above: Premier Brad Wall tours Melville flood
MELVILLE, Sask. – The water came rushing in Monday outside Jeff Fortune’s business – so much that Fortune thought his business would be washed away.
Then he received a late night phone call.
“It said there was 50 people on the way to your shop with sandbags,” Fortunate said. “We were here until three o’clock in the morning building up a berm.”
FULL COVERAGE: Prairie farmers, communities tackle flooding
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The same volunteer spirit is alive at Horizon Credit Union Centre, where evacuees from Melville’s care home are staying. As many as 500 people have signed their names to help out.
“It’s humbling to see we have a community, where, despite personal basement flooding, everyone is trying to lend a hand,” said Britton Houdek, a social worker volunteering her time.
More than 100 people are spending another night there as a precaution.
Premier Brad Wall toured the region Wednesday, including the hospital that remains protected by a wall of sandbags, and by air – where the devastation is more apparent.
Wall said the amount of water was hard to fathom.
The good news is water levels have dropped as much as ten centimetres around Melville, but that’s only after the water rose more than 45 centimetres in some areas over less than 12 hours.
Melville mayor Walter Streelasky said the city’s dam has not been compromised, but water will continue to flow around the city for at least another week.
NEED TO KNOW: Important Saskatchewan flood contact numbers
The province’s disaster assistance office is set to open in Melville as early as Friday.
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