By paNOW Staff

A few stay behind to protect Cumberland House from flooding

Jun 24, 2013 | 2:44 PM

Some 2,000 residents from Cumberland House and the Cumberland Cree Nation have now been moved to higher ground with Alberta flood waters funneling into the northeastern community this week.

Orginally, everyone was to have left by Tuesday, but heavy rain over the weekend, and an early release of water from the E.B. Campbell Dam upstream forced emergency officials to speed up the process.

Everyone was out by 2 p.m. said paNOW reporter Sean Leslie. He said to make sure nobody was missed RCMP were going door-to-door.

The final checks by RCMP were done before they closed Highway 123, the only road into the community.

According to Leslie, only a small number of people remain in the communities. They have stayed behind to do what they can to protect infrastructure and buildings.

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“The school was first as a berm was built around it, next on the list are other buildings and residences,” said Leslie. “But with 300 buildings being directly threatened it's not likely they can save them all.”

Leslie said work is also being done to protect Highway 123, however, the province has already said that road will be washed out if flows are as high as predicted.

The evacuees have been sent to Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Melfort and Nipawin. The Red Cross is providing shelter and food to about 350 in Prince Albert. A spokesperson for the agency said they are staying in hotels or the emergency shelter set up in the gymnasium at the SIAST Woodland Campus.

The Red Cross said it is preparing to house the evacuees for up to two weeks.

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