Water receding in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., but access to water, airport still flooded

Lorna Storr was only supposed to be in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., for a couple of days, before high waters surrounding the community left her stranded in the hamlet. 

Storr had a flight booked out Monday but when the Peel River flooded the Dempster Highway and cut off access to the airport, she realized she might be staying longer than intended.

"We're just sitting here waiting," Storr said.

"I heard the water levels were dropping so I hope they'd be able to get their road repaired so we'd be able to get out."

The community of about 650 declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after flooding from the Peel washed over both roads out of the community, blocking access to the airport as well as the hamlet's source of clean drinking water.

Impassable roads means no food supplies are coming in, heating fuel is inaccessible and there is no access to the garbage dump. The hamlet staff is continuing to pick up garbage and temporarily storing it at the curling rink. 

While some houses on the north end flooded, most of the community is built up on a hill with lesser risk of flooding from the river. The latest water monitoring bulletin from the territory said the water level on the river at Fort McPherson has been slowly receding over the past 24 hours after the large ice jam shifted downstream of the community.

The extent of the damage, including erosion to the access roads on the Dempster Highway, has yet to be determined. 

Despite Storr's extended stay, she said she has been keeping busy with visiting, baking, checking water levels and accidentally being featured on Northbeat Wednesday night. She had wandered into Chief Elizabeth Wright's interview with the CBC's Meghan Roberts.

"I didn't know it was live," Storr said with a laugh.

"I just came from behind the house and I went over to see what was going on and here they were doing an interview."

Storr was originally in the hamlet to cover some work shifts for her daughter, Joyce Blake, who was out of town when the high water started.

Blake was in Inuvik Tuesday when her flights back to the hamlet were cancelled. 

"We ended up getting a charter from Inuvik to McPherson, myself and two of my kids and my nieces," Blake said.

The road to the hamlet was already closed but Blake has family with a house near the airport where they ended up staying. On Wednesday, Blake went on a boat to check out the high waters.

"From the airport, we drove towards town and checked out the water and we couldn't believe how bad it actually was," Blake said. "I don't know if it's ever been that high before."

The state of emergency was still in effect as of Thursday afternoon with the school, government office, hamlet community complex and youth centre closed. 

Despite limited places for youth, Blake said some are keeping busy playing baseball on the diamond — separate from the ball field that is being used as a helicopter launch pad for evacuees.

'I'll just stay put'

The hamlet started evacuating some residents Thursday morning, focusing on infants, elders and people needing medical care. But not everyone was keen to leave.

Robert Alexie Sr. said he was asked by hamlet officials if he wanted to leave and said no.

"I'll just stay put," Alexie told the CBC's Hilary Bird on The Trailbreaker.  

The elder said this is the first time he's seen water along the Peel River in Fort McPherson this high, but despite the flooding in the north end of town, he believed he would be safe.

"As long as the water keeps dropping, we'll be OK," Alexie said. 

The hamlet currently has no radio signal — for CBC or the local station — as power to the transmitter booth was cut Wednesday because of safety concerns. 

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But everyone is checking in on each other, Alexie said, and the band office is still open for people who want to call or drop in.

'We had little time to get out'

Eleven kilometres south of the hamlet, a popular fishing spot called Eight Miles was hit hard by flooding. The water went up to the roofs of some cabins — and even moved some of them.

Gordon Koe was at his place in Eight Miles on Tuesday. In the morning all seemed normal, Koe said, but at noon he heard his dogs barking and when he went to check on them, they were swimming.

"I quickly got into the canoe and rescued my three dogs and two pups. All were OK but it had come up so suddenly — we had little time to get out," Koe shared with CBC News in a Facebook message.

Koe got out by boat, but helicopters were sent out earlier in the week for anyone needing assistance. 

By Thursday, water levels had dropped but the damage was significant.

"It's so nice to go out to Eight Miles, you know, see who is there and there is always people there and it's nice to have a tea and visit," Storr said.

"But now the cabins are all scattered, so it's going to be quite the repair … I pray everything works out for them."