Residents packed the Aurora Ford Arena Tuesday night in the first major public meeting held by the Town of Hay River since major flooding began late last week.

Town officials said that water levels remained high and ice is backed-up upstream with more flooding likely to occur in town.

SA国际影视传媒淭he ice is jammed up to mile 23,SA国际影视传媒� Protective Services Director and Fire Chief Travis Wright said. SA国际影视传媒淲ater levels in the south continue to rise and they are going to work their way here.

SA国际影视传媒淭emperatures are warming up, so that may have some effect. There may be no more ice coming to push from behind, but the water is continuing to rise.

SA国际影视传媒淲armer temperatures may melt the snow and increase water in the basin. SA国际影视传媒�

Wright also touched on the difficulty that flooding waters are having on his departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to access some areas of town, especially on Vale Island and old town.

He pointed out that there is about two to three feet of water and ice near the rail tracks at the rail yard and that it is posing problems for personnel.

SA国际影视传媒淓ach time we cross, there is a risk we wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be able to return,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚f there are downed power lines, we wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be able to respond.SA国际影视传媒�

Wright warned that if there is ice moving that first responders will have difficulty reaching some segments of the population.

SA国际影视传媒淲e can perform rescue attempts but it would be with calculated risk,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hatSA国际影视传媒檚 happening is very tough, we are doing everything we can do to help. We canSA国际影视传媒檛 control Mother Nature, but we can keep out of the way and try to protect people.SA国际影视传媒�

Staff reported that there were still 60 people on Vale Island, with 175 households and 312 individuals registering with the townSA国际影视传媒檚 evacuation centre, which has been set up at the recreation centre downtown.

Another 40 are registered from the corridor and Paradise.

There are also 17 recreation vehicles parked at the recreation centre parking lot and another 10 people boarded inside the recreation hall.

Mayor Kandis Jameson has been very vocal since the weekend that people to leave their homes on Vale Island and West Channel and follow evacuation orders put in place since May 7 at 2 a.m.

She said the situation is unlike anything the town has seen before.

SA国际影视传媒淲e know how frustrating these evacuation situations are, and we thank everyone for their cooperation because at this time we simply cannot risk lives,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is the first time we have had an evacuation alert for the corridor and riverfront. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 how unprecedented this situation has become.SA国际影视传媒�

Residents expressed worry and frustration throughout the meeting.

Mike Wallington, who runs Polar Egg farm has 118,000 birds, with 44,000 of them being kept on ground level of his barn. Water encroaching his farm is about four feet from reaching the base of his barn and six feet from destroying the lower level where the chickens live and the power source is stored.

SA国际影视传媒淚f this water gets six feet higher, we are screwed,SA国际影视传媒� he said, explaining that chickens need power, ventilation, and food to survive.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 my responsibility as a farmer. We take from them, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 our job to care for them in return.SA国际影视传媒�

Wallington questioned the townSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to get real-time data so that he can protect his property.

SA国际影视传媒淲ith all the technology in the world, how can we develop better information so we are not caught unaware in these situations?SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Glenn Smith, the townSA国际影视传媒檚 senior administrative officer, said that the town does have a monitoring team with three monitoring stations, but there are limitations to the ability to predict how ice jams will lead to flooding.

SA国际影视传媒淯ltimately, ice jam situations are not predictable,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

- with notes from Diana Smith