More evacuation orders issued as rising rivers threaten Fort McMurray
Posted Apr 27, 2020 11:15:39 AM.
Last Updated Apr 27, 2020 11:24:09 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — More residents of Fort McMurray have been ordered out of their homes as spring ice break-up causes flooding on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers in and around the northern Alberta city.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued evacuation orders for a number of streets in the city’s Lower Townsite neighbourhood.
It has also closed access to the entire area, including MacDonald Island, until further notice.
The evacuations include streets bordering the provincial court building and extend south to Platinum Hotels, which has been ordered cleared.
Evacuees have been asked to report to a registration centre at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre, which is about seven kilometres to the south.
On the advice of Alberta Health Services, the regional government has also issued a boil water advisory this morning for all areas of Fort McMurray north of Athabasca River bridges.
The advisory, which remains in effect until further notice, was issued because of discoloured tap water and covers seven neighbourhoods and the Taiga Nova Eco-Industrial park.
The municipality declared a state of local emergency and issued several evacuation orders Sunday after an ice jam collapsed about 10 kilometres up the Athabasca River.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2020
The Canadian Press
