Residents began returning to their homes in Fort Simpson this week as the village starts to pick up the pieces after a catastrophic flood.

Village mayor Sean Whelly said that the community began welcoming back 40 evacuees from Fort Smith on May 19, but as of Wednesday was still treating the situation as a state of emergency.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are at a point where the community is getting back on its feet and it could have been a lot worse,SA国际影视传媒� Whelly said. SA国际影视传媒淎 matter of inches or one foot of water more may have cost millions.SA国际影视传媒�

Whelly said river conditions changed radically since he last spoke with SA国际影视传媒 late on May 14. At that time, the water levels were around the 16 metre mark.

The mayor said that in most cases, people returning to the village will be met with homes that are livable and not destroyed by flood damage. But he is worried there might be a few who face surprises.

SA国际影视传媒淚f any evacuees are to come back and open the door and find that they canSA国际影视传媒檛 live here, we have asked them to contact the local accommodations like motels or bed and breakfasts and book a room,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淒onSA国际影视传媒檛 call the village. We will pay in the short term and will see what can be done.SA国际影视传媒�

The municipality has provided a property ownersSA国际影视传媒� checklist for owners go over and assess whether homes are safe to live in following the flood.

He said that as of May 19, the village is keeping a checklist of costs of flood and emergency damage to homes and was aware of about nine houses that were completely flooded and likely to be unlivable.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are being asked by the territorial emergency management organization to help so that they can figure out the housing needs for those folks,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have somewhat of an idea but will determine in the next day or two.SA国际影视传媒�

But he said the municipality was looking to offset some of the housing responsibilities to proper housing authorities like the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation so that he can focus on basic community government responsibilities like sewer and water maintenance, garbage and maintaining roads.

Whelly said he was uncertain what the housing needs will be for the next six months to a year and to what extent there will have to be structures rebuilt or replaced.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome were significantly impacted for sure,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut the village isnSA国际影视传媒檛 in the role of undertaking that housing responsibility.

As far as major infrastructure repair, Whelly said it appears that the village is okay at the moment.

SA国际影视传媒淢ost of our village buildings suffered no damage in the end,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The fact that the NWT Power Corporation was not flooded also helped in seeing that most buildings in the village were able to restore their power by Tuesday at 5 p.m.