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State of emergency in Fort Good Hope as river rises

It appears a state of emergency has been declared in Fort Good Hope.
Blair McBride
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The Mackenzie River overflowed and began flooding parts of Fort Good Hope on May 25, said resident Edna Tobac in a Facebook post. photo courtesy of Edna Tobac

It appears a state of emergency has been declared in Fort Good Hope.

The Mackenzie River has breached its banks in the tiny Sahtu community and a warning siren has sounded, according to a resident reached via Facebook messenger.

Water flowed across a road and is slowly rising, resident Edna Tobac said in a Facebook post on May 25.

Ice from the Mackenzie River began covering a road in Fort Good Hope on May 25, said resident Edna Tobac in a Facebook post. photo courtesy of Edna Tobac
Ice from the Mackenzie River began covering a road in Fort Good Hope on May 25, said resident Edna Tobac in a Facebook post. photo courtesy of Edna Tobac

“Woke up to the siren ringing at 5 a.m. I guess Fort Good Hope is in a state of emergency,” Tobac wrote in a message to NNSL Media. “The ice is still flowing steady.”

Photos and videos in Tobac’s post showed water rising around houses.

Water levels had reached 13.2 meters Tuesday morning according to Environment Canada’s most recent hydrometric update.

The flooding comes just over a week after high water and ice levels on the Mackenzie River wreaked havoc on communities in the Dehcho region.

NNSL Media has reached out to the leadership of the K’asho Got’ine Charter Community and is awaiting a response.