KENORA – After calling a state of emergency, the flooding situation in Kenora is getting worse as many of the main roads are submerged, and water is creeping up to resident’s homes.
The public is advised to gather personal belongings and supplies and evacuate before 6:30 p.m. today. After 6:30 p.m., the roads will be closed, and there will be no exit or entry after this time.
An evacuation centre has been set up at the Kenora Recreation Centre,18 Mike Richards Way, for those without alternative accommodation.
Please register at the front desk and provide proof of residency.
Reports from the city explain that both The Lake of the Woods and Winnipeg River systems are above the 95th percentile. This percentile rating tracks the water in the Lake of the Woods. This rating shows that the water is back-flowing into the Black Sturgeon systems, creating overland flooding because of the high levels.
The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry has heard reports of peoples’ docks being damaged by ice and high-water levels in the city and unincorporated areas.
The city has closed Coker Road at Kelly Road, stating that the road is now unstable. Motorists should not travel on water-covered roads because ground saturation may have caused the road underneath to giveaway. Motorists are encouraged to use an alternative route, if at all possible, to avoid dangerous roads.
Sandbags have been made available at City of Kenora Fire Station #1 on Fourteenth Street North; however, supplies are dwindling as residents have used all of the city's sandbags in stock. Additional sandbags have been ordered, and the city is working with the province to bring in more sandbags immediately. So far, the city has given out 11,000 sandbags.
For those residents that have sandbags but are looking to find sand, sand is available in the front parking lot of the City of Kenora Operations Building on Fourteenth Street North.
The City of Kenora urges residents in highly affected areas to be prepared to evacuate on concise notice. As water levels continue to rise, there is no way to accurately predict how quickly roads can become unsafe and impassable for residents. This may leave portions of the population cut off from essential services, including emergency services.
The Emergency Operations Centre wants to ensure that residents understand that should they choose to stay in their homes and the road becomes unusable, emergency services will not be available to assist should there be an emergency. The safest thing to do is to evacuate now and prepare for the potential of your access being unavailable to your home.
