Knowing flood waters were going to peak Friday night, the Red Earth First Nation chief and council decided to evacuate the remaining health priority residents in the northern Saskatchewan community.
The rising waters threatened to cut off the community’s main road and access for emergency vehicles.
Around 220 residents were evacuated on Thursday and now 358 more will join them in Saskatoon – that’s a total of 576.
“We got notice yesterday that as many as 800 more may be coming, but that’s not the final number that we saw. But, between ten o’clock and two o’clock this morning three or four buses arrived,” explained Red Cross volunteer Rod Orr.
READ MORE: Remaining Red Earth Cree Nation residents displaced as water levels rise in Sask.
This isn’t the first time Red Earth has been evacuated and its residents aren’t strangers to flooding.
“This will be our fourth evacuation in a span of ten years and the people obviously feel displaced,” said Red Earth resident Fabian Head.
Most of the evacuees are sheltered at the Henk Ruys Soccer Centre, but 178 of the highest medical priority individuals are staying at a local hotel.
During the stay, community partners have come together to entertain the evacuees with various activities including an afternoon trip to the forestry farm.
“Right now, there’s probably several hundred people at the forestry farm. We had a number of city buses come today,” Orr said.
READ MORE: PDAP centre opening in Arborfield, Sask. as flood cleanup continues
According to the Water Security Agency (WSA), water levels peaked overnight, but not as high as anticipated.
Beyond some spillage onto the road, no infrastructure damage is known at this time.
For now there’s no word on when evacuees will be allowed to return home.
“It peaked but the water is still high. We’re not sure when the water will recede so we’re just going on a day-by-day basis,” Head explained.
According to the Government of Saskatchewan, the worst of the flooding is likely over in the area and the situation is “improving rapidly.”
As of Friday morning, 632 people were displaced due to flooding in Saskatchewan.
The Red Cross says all 30 evacuees from Shoal Lake returned home Friday.
A state of emergency remains in place for:
- Carrot River
- The R.M. of Moose Range
- The R.M. of Arborfield
- Red Earth community
The state of emergency for the town of Arborfield has ended.
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