Precautionary evacuation notice issued for Hay River's Vale Island, West Channel

A precautionary evacuation notice has been issued for flood-prone parts of Hay River.

The town's latest noticeremindedresidents of Vale Island and West Channel to be ready to evacuate on short notice. This affects roughly 200 households.

"Resident should now prepare their households for a potential evacuation," the notice reads.

Glenn Smith, Hay River's assistant senior administrative officer, told CBC News that a precautionary evacuation notice is the first of three types of alerts that the town could put out in case of an emergency.

"It's just to be used as a precaution," Smith said. "We sent outinformation previously, we went door-to-door, but we wanted to be in compliance with our [emergency] plan and get that information out and to make sure that people are being prepared in case conditions worsen."

The town will issue evacuation alerts or an evacuation order if the situation gets worse, Smith said.

It's still too early to know when Hay River will see the peak of this year's breakup season, Smith continued, so residents of Vale Island and West Channel should be ready to leave atany time.

It also does not mean an evacuation will definitely be happening, Smith said.

"It's plausible," Smith continued. "I wouldn't say that we're expecting, but we're preparing."

An RV park will be set up at in the town's recreation centre parking lot starting Friday for people who want to get their vehicles prepared for a possible evacuation, Smith said.

Smith re-inforced that the town will resettle any possible evacuees first in hotels in Hay River, then in the RV park being set up and, if necessary, in Yellowknife hotel rooms.

Breakup is moving slowly in most areas south of Hay River, according to the town's most recent breakup reportissued Wednesday. Water is rising around the Chinchaga area, where the water is sitting at around 1.7metres, which the town said is "higher than we like to see at this time."

Residents can find more information about how to prepare for breakup through the Town of Hay River's website or by calling the town's emergency measures phone system at 833-699-0188.

Territorial gov't warns at-risk communities to be prepared

The Northwest Territories government is working with flood-prone communities to ensure emergency and evacuation plans are in place and meet public health measures to protect againstCOVID-19.

"The communities of Hay River, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Nahanni Butte, Tulita, Fort Good Hope, Fort McPherson, Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk are all in flood-prone areas and residents in these communities are encouraged to take steps to ensure they are prepared and protected," reads a release from the territory Thursday.

In the event of a flood, residents may see or hear a public alert through the NWT Alert system on cell phones, radio stations and cable networks, it adds.