More than 160 residents from Aklavik have been evacuated to Inuvik following flooding in the community over the weekend.
Since then, however, waters have started to recede.
The community declared a state of emergency after the road to the dump became submerged.
According to resident Allen Kogiak, the road is still underwater but water levels are slowly going down.
Kogiak’s mother is one of the 25 Elders that are now staying in Inuvik.
She is staying with family and “doing good,” he says.
Kogiak’s home has not been affected, but he says several houses on the main road have been flooded.
But it could have been worse.
“Over the last few years, the hamlet did a real awesome job building up our roads,” says Kogiak. “In the past floods that I saw, the water was covering just about the whole town and with this flood, the water filled most of our ditches but just a couple of roads… It’s not as bad as the last one.”
Like with the other flooded community’s this spring, Aklavik residents have come together and support each other.
Kogiak says the hamlet set up a 24-hour watch, and residents have been helping out with the evacuation.
The Town of Inuvik is asking all evacuees to register at the Midnight Sun Complex to ensure everyone is accounted for.
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has also launched a webpage with information for homeowners on financial assistance and steps before re-entering their homes.
