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Residents who evacuated flooded N.W.T. town Hay River allowed to return

Click to play video: 'Severe flooding in Hay River, NT, forces thousands to evacuate'
Severe flooding in Hay River, NT, forces thousands to evacuate
Thousands of residents have been forced to flee from their homes, as frigid and catastrophic flooding batters the town of Hay River in the Northwest Territories. Heather Yourex-West looks at the widespread damage, and the concerns that even more water is on the way. – May 12, 2022

A town in the Northwest Territories says people were being allowed to return to their homes Sunday evening, four days after about 3,500 were ordered to evacuate as flood waters rose.

A reopening plan posted by the Town of Hay River, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, warns residents that hazard assessments do not include private property.

The plan says it is important that residents understand the specific services available on their properties as they decide when it is appropriate to return.

If residents decide their home is not habitable, the plan says they can return to the host evacuation centers for short term accommodation.

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Hay River is known as the “Hub of the North” because it is an important transportation and communications centre.

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It is the staging point for the shipment of goods further into the territory and heart of the Great Slave Lake commercial fishery.

Click to play video: 'Global National: May 12'
Global National: May 12

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