Water floods land scorched by fire, closing only road access to Patuanak, Sask.
As dozens of Saskatchewan communities grapple with a torrent of spring flooding, the small northwest community of Patuanak is cut off from the rest of the province for the second time in less than a year.
This time it's due to water instead of fire.
But the circumstances are all intertwined, said Candyce Paul, the emergency management co-ordinator for English River First Nation.
Giant amounts of snow fell onto land that was burned last summer by wildfire. As the snow melts, there are no living trees, root systems, or muskeg to absorb the water.
The result is that the only highway into the community is washed out in a half-dozen places.
"So it's like there's brand new lakes and rivers all along that road," Paul told Blue Sky host Leisha Grebinski on Monday. "And then the debris from those burns is washing up against the culverts and blocking them as well, so that's compounding the problem."
The road closed on Friday afternoon, leaving about 160 people who had left the community for the weekend or for the day unable to return. They are being supported in communities including Saskatoon, Meadow Lake and North Battleford, Paul said.
If the road stays closed for many days, there is the option to bring in supplies by air, as the landing strip at the airport is open for small planes, she said.
Flooding widespread
Officials from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, Water Security Agency and Ministry of Highways are scheduled to provide a briefing to media at 12:30 p.m. CST on the flooding conditions in the province.
A barn sits in a flooded yard on Sunday in the Tisdale area. (Thomas Simon/CBC)
Central Saskatchewan has numerous areas of flooding. Highway 5 between Wadena and Canora is closed, as water has covered the road, and many other roads in the area have portions that are closed because they're impassable.
Caitlyn Villeneuve farms in the Quill Lake area, about 150 kilometres east of Saskatoon.
"At first, I was quite shocked because when I heard that it was starting to flood, I actually didn't quite believe it until I saw it," she told Morning Edition host Adam Hunter on Monday.
"Then it was really surreal. I was like, 'Oh my gosh.'"
Footage from a drone shows flooding near Buchanan, just north of Good Spirit Provincial Park lake, on the weekend. (Submitted to CBC by Colin Pasiechnik)
Some roads in the Tisdale and Melfort areas were affected by flooding on the weekend.
Melfort-area resident Shelley Vanderbyl said she left to go to church Sunday morning and noticed some water on the road, but when she was heading home it was a lot worse.
"But now when I've come back, it's washed out quite a bit. … It doesn't look too safe," she told CBC on Sunday.
Road closures
Motorists should check the Highway Hotline for the most up-to-date information before they travel.
As of 11 a.m. CST, Highway 5 is affected by flooding for much of its length. At Watson, there's water over the road just west of the town and a local detour is in place.
One of the places that is washed out on Highway 918, the only road access to the community of Patuanak, in northwest Saskatchewan. (Submitted to CBC by Candyce Paul)
Continuing east, speeds are reduced in two locations heading to Quill Lake due to water over the road. Then, the highway is closed for a 100-kilometre stretch from Wadena to Canmore.
Also in east-central Saskatchewan, flooding on Highway 49 west of the Kelvington turnoff has closed one of the lanes.
Highway 310 near Foam Lake is closed south of Highway 16 due to a washout.
There are numerous road closures in areas east of Prince Albert. Near Carrot River, Birch Road is closed due to flooding east of Highway 23.
Near Armley, both Highway 35 and Highway 335 are closed due to water over the highway.
Just west of Choiceland, motorists are advised to reduce their speeds on Highway 55 due to water on the road.
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North of Prince Albert, there's water on Highway 2 south of Spruce Home. North of that, Highway 355 is closed in both directions where it meets Highway 2.
Highway 791 to Paddockwood also has water on the road and caution is advised.
Further north, Highway 916 is closed west of Highway 2 due to a washout.
Where Highway 936 meets Highway 2 there are are road closures due to a culvert washout.
This article, written by Hannah Spray, was originally published for CBC News. Contains files from Adam Hunter on the Morning Edition, Leisha Grebinski on Blue Sky, Thomas Simon and Katie Swyers.