Flooding is seen in the Longboat Landing area of Fort McMurray, Alta. on Sunday, April 26, 2020 in this handout photo. The spring ice breakup on rivers in northern Alberta is forcing some residents of Fort McMurray neighbourhoods from their homes, and people in the city's downtown have been warned to be ready to react in case the evolving situation changes.

Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. - Flooding in northern Alberta has led to mandatory evacuations in Fort McMurray and a request to the federal government for help from the military.

"We have requested assistance from the federal government as we face this new crisis," Don Scott, mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said in social media post Monday.

It came as spring ice breakup on the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers led to flooding and the complete closure of the city's downtown core.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the federal government was aware of the situation and was looking for ways to help.

"The fact that flooding season and, in due course, forest fire season is coinciding with coronavirus in Canada is posing some special challenges," she said in Ottawa. "We have been gearing up for those from the outset and this is an issue we are looking at urgently today."

The municipality on the weekend declared a second state of local emergency on top of one declared last month because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scott said in an interview Sunday that there's often some sort of event when the ice breaks every year.

"Once approximately every 20 years we have something different happen," he said. "This happens to be that year."

Officials were monitoring an ice jam about 10 kilometres upstream for several days, Scott said. Early Sunday morning, it let loose.

Evacuation orders were issued before dawn Monday for properties along several streets in the Lower Townsite district. Within an hour the municipality had closed access to the entire area.

Evacuees, including those staying at the Platinum Hotel, were told to report to a registration centre at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre, about seven kilometres to the south and farther removed from the rising water.

"The public is urged to follow mandatory evacuation orders immediately," officials said Monday on the municipality's Facebook page. "Overnight we have rescued more than 100 people who did not adhere to these orders."

More evacuation orders were issued later Monday.

Residents of several additional communities in the lower townsite were asked to go to the Oil Sands Discovery Centre if they need a place to stay or immediate support.

Those who live between Hardin Street to Waterways on the east side of Highway 63, which is closer to the Clearwater River, were told to report to the Casman Centre, a secondary registration centre.

Highway 63 remains open, and officials said the order does not include the hospital at this time.

Mandatory evacuation orders had been issued Sunday for Draper, a rural community of 187 residents just outside of Fort McMurray; for Longboat Landing, an area near the city's downtown; and for the Tiaga Nova industrial park, which also has a hotel.

Later Sunday, a voluntary evacuation order was made mandatory for the Waterways neighbourhood including the Ptarmigan Court Trailer Park.

Meanwhile, due to reports of discolouration in tap water in Fort McMurray neighbourhoods north of the Athabasca River bridges, Alberta Health Services directed the municipality to issue a boil water advisory. It was expanded later Monday to all of Fort McMurray, Anzac, Draper, Fort McMurray First Nation, Gregoire Lake Estates and Saprae Creek Estates.

Officials have asked all evacuees to continue following physical-distancing requirements to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Scott said Sunday that evacuees were being housed in hotel rooms that the municipality had booked.

He added that Fort McMurray's population is ready for disasters, such as the wildfire in 2016 that forced an evacuation of the entire city and destroyed 2,400 homes and buildings.

"Because of the oilsands, people are very used to being in a very safety-driven environment. And if there's any place that can face challenges, it's ours," Scott said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2020

News from © The Canadian Press, 2020