Fort McMurray Flooding Records its 1st death In Wood Buffalo

TDS News
Breaking News
April 29, 2020

Fort McMurray Flooding Records its 1st death In Wood Buffalo. More Than 12,936 People Have Been Evacuated

Wood Buffalo confirms the first death from the Flooding. The community is not only dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic they are in the midst of a massive evacuation with the added uncertainty of what will be left of their community in the months to come.

Mandatory Evacuation Orders remain in effect for Draper, Waterways, Taiga Nova Industrial Park and the Lower Townsite of Fort McMurray. Although these areas are under evacuation orders, a damage assessment has begun, and a phased re-entry plan is being developed.

“The risk in areas under Mandatory Evacuation Orders remains high as water can become electrically charged or ice can shift, causing further flooding and water and debris to begin moving very quickly,” said Scott Davis, Director of Emergency Management. “Members of the public travelling into these locations are putting themselves, first responders and others at risk of a serious incident. Access to the Lower Townsite is closed and vehicles parked on the side of Highway 63 will be towed. For your safety and the safety of others, please respect the closures and seriousness of this situation.”

Understandably, many homeowners and businesses are keen to understand the damage from flooding. Once it is safe to be in the impacted areas, there will be a process in place, which will be announced at a later date, to allow residents and local business owners to visit their property.

The Regional Emergency Coordination Centre is working to assess the impacts through ground, air, and boat reconnaissance. At this time, the preliminary numbers of structures impacted are 1230 with a breakdown below. Please note, these numbers are an estimate and will likely change as further reconnaissance and assessments are performed.

Teams are preparing to do rapid damage assessments to expedite the re-entry of community members into their homes and businesses. Additional information will be announced in the days ahead.

Here is an update on what has happened in the past 48 hours to protect and respond to the significant flooding in Draper, Waterways, Fort McMurray and surrounding area.