Flood warning ends, evacuation alert lifted for the Klondike River Valley in Yukon

The threat of severe flooding in the Klondike River Valley near Dawson City in the US state of Yukon appears to be over after an ice jam broke free on Tuesday and the river’s water level dropped significantly.

According to disaster officials, this means the flood warning for the area has been lifted and an evacuation warning issued last week has also been revoked.

“This means we are seeing positive developments on the Klondike River,” Paul Robitaille, the city’s emergency management officer, said Tuesday. “We should all be happy about this news.”

An ice jam on the Klondike Highway bridge has been the main cause of concern in recent days as it caused the river’s water level to rise upstream. On Tuesday, the ice on the Klondike broke and the ice jam was washed downstream.

This caused the water level at the bridge to drop by 1.7 meters, officials said.

Since Tuesday morning, there have been two more ice jams upstream on the Klondike at Henderson Corner and in the Bear Creek subdivisions, but Robitaille said those are not a major cause for concern.

“They don’t pose a risk in and of themselves. We will expect some fluctuations on the river, not only from the ice jams but also from the flooding when the snow melts – but we don’t expect any significant fluctuations at this point.”

Robitaille said one property in the area suffered some flood damage this year, but other than that, the area appears to have been spared any major problems like last year.

“We are really happy that we have escaped with a black eye, so to speak, as far as further damage is concerned this year. In that respect, we can rest assured,” he said.

Still, Robitaille encouraged residents to keep a 72-hour emergency kit at home just in case, which he said is especially essential in a remote community like Dawson.

“We are really at the mercy of Mother Nature. Things like flooding will probably be a threat to our area every year, and the same goes for wildfires, landslides and power outages,” he said.

“Being prepared is probably the best thing you can do.”