Evacuation underway near Dawson City, Yukon, as floodwaters rise

A "tactical evacuation" is underway in the Rock Creek subdivision near Dawson City, as floodwaters continue to rise in the area.

Emergencyofficials say about 20 properties on the Rock Creek Road are being evacuated. The evacuation is a recommendation, and not an order.

Officials were also warning early Monday afternoon that the water is expected to rise further and without warning once ice jams breakdownstream on the Klondike River.

"I guess the message for everybody in Dawson and along the Klondike River is, you know, when it does let go there will be a sudden rise of the water everywhere. So don't be on the riverbank and near the river at that point,"said Dawson City Fire Chief Mike Massery, just before 1 p.m. on Monday.

"There is going to bea good wave coming through."

The evacuation followsa flood warning issued Sunday evening for the Klondike River.

Massery said some residents in the Rock Creek area saw the water rise by close to four feet over a two-hour period on Sunday night.

"People would have gone to bed with water wellaway from their homes and wake up in the morning to see it right at their doorstep," he said.

Some residents couldn't get out of their homes and needed to call for help. Massery said the Canadian Rangers have boats at the ready, and any residents who need help can call1-867-689-8115. He said there are hotel rooms booked and food available for anybody who's had to leave home.

Residents fromevacuated areascan register with the Yukon's emergency support servicesby calling 867-332-4597.

Flooding at Rock Creek Campground by Dawson City, Yukon

1 year ago

Duration 0:14

The Yukon Government has reported local flooding in the Rock Creek neighbourhood near Dawson City, Yukon.

Officials expect the high water level to last into Tuesday evening.

Randy Audethas a home in the Rock Creek subdivision and went to check on itMonday, along with his mom's car. He's working out of town right now at a camp and also has another place to stay outside of Dawson City.

Audet's whole property was underwater.

"I kind of saw it coming, to be honest with you. The river was really high," he said.

"And I've never actually seen this happen in 12 years since I've been living here."

Audetsaid there's not much to do but wait for the ice jams to break and the water to eventually drop.

"Time is our best friend right now," he said.

Also on Monday, a flood watch was issued for the the lower Yukon River at Dawson City. The advisory states that ice upstream from Dawson is decaying more rapidly than further downstream, and that the current water level is relatively high for breakup.

"Current conditions suggest ice jams are likely to form downstream of Dawson during breakup at discharge volumes much higher than average. The risk of flooding to Dawson is well above average," the advisory reads.

Massery said the Yukon River is not expected to drop for another three to five days. He said there are piles of sand along Front Street and thousands of sandbags at the ready, to protect lower-lying areas. He's asking anybody with spare time to come help fill some bags.

He also expects the town's dike to offer some protection from the river.

"We're ready for it. So hopefully, you know, we will be in good shape in Dawson," he said.

Residents can stay up to date on potential flooding on the Yukon government's flood atlas.