The word SA国际影视传媒榣uckySA国际影视传媒� keeps popping up when town officials discuss the spring breakup of the Hay River.

While there were ominous signs that this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 breakup might mean significant flooding on Vale Island because of high water levels in the river and on Great Slave Lake, the potential disaster didnSA国际影视传媒檛 materialize.

The main exception was major flooding at the 2 Seasons Adventures campground, which is not on Vale Island.

The townSA国际影视传媒檚 SAO, Glenn Smith, said this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 breakup brought possibly the highest water levels in the river and throughout the community, but no major flooding.

SA国际影视传媒淔or the end of it, I think we as a community got very lucky through it.SA国际影视传媒�

Some property owners along the river may have lost a few small assets, he noted. SA国际影视传媒淏ut overall, we got very lucky in avoiding any type of severe flooding that we were worried about.SA国际影视传媒�

As for why the worst never happened, Smith noted there are always many factors that ultimately influence what occurs at breakup.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut we got that first major push in breakup that really did start to funnel through the West Channel, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a good thing for us,SA国际影视传媒� he said, referring to the flow of ice on Friday, May 7.

SA国际影视传媒淭here was some flooding that occurred on the 2 Seasons recreational area and our road out to that area and the water treatment plant,SA国际影视传媒� noted. SA国际影视传媒淪o that road and 2 Seasons looked to have taken the brunt of the damage. Nonetheless, it was still favourable that it was going through that way to begin with.SA国际影视传媒�

After that initial push, there were two days where the ice just sat in the river before beginning to move again on Monday, May 10.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had some warm weather there where things were kind of melting,SA国际影视传媒� said Smith. SA国际影视传媒淲ater, of course, was still flowing underneath. We had a lot of water flowing through without really being held up at any time through the breakup.SA国际影视传媒�

Things were looking so ominous that the town issued an evacuation order for Vale Island on May 7 and repeated the order on the morning of May 10. The order was lifted later that day.

During the May 11 regular meeting of council SA国际影视传媒� after the flood threat had passed SA国际影视传媒� fire chief Ross Potter also described how the town was fortunate to avoid significant flooding.

SA国际影视传媒淏reakup was a long process this year and I can honestly say that we really got lucky,SA国际影视传媒� Potter said. SA国际影视传媒淚 definitely anticipated an awful worse breakup than what we ended up with. We did end up with a little bit of flooding in West Channel, some flooding along the beaches all the way from really FishermanSA国际影视传媒檚 Wharf to MTS, but it didnSA国际影视传媒檛 get too carried away last night (May 10).SA国际影视传媒�

This was the second year in a row that Vale Island was evacuated because of the threat of flooding.

No flooding occurred after the evacuation last year.

Smith was asked if the fact that there was no flooding on Vale Island despite evacuation orders for two years in a row might make it more difficult to get people to evacuate in the future.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 always going to be a challenge,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚n reality, there are some areas that are lower risk and some are higher risk on the island. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 tough to co-ordinate specific areas, so we have been taking the approach the last few years at least in getting everyone off the island.SA国际影视传媒�

Smith said hopefully people will remember what happened this year in Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River, which were both hit hard by flooding.