Emokhare Paul Anthony
Daily Herald
Residents in the Carrot River area continue to clean-up after a storm hit the community Sunday night.
A state of emergency has been declared by the town council of the Carrot River and Emergency Operations Centre activated. The Sunday night storm blew off roofs, damaged vehicles, and left the town and surrounding rural communities without electricity.
Community Development Manager Miranda Blaber said it is difficult to know the extent of damages and cost for now until after the clean-up.
“Initially the damage was overwhelming,” Blaber said. “There was a lot debris and a lot of downed trees, and it was hard to see what the damage actually was. Now that we are able to clear up a lot of the debris, we’re still working through cleaning up trees, we’re starting to just begin assessment of properties and what the damage will be.
“There’s not a lot we can do to mitigate a storm creeping up on us such as it did, but part of our management and recovery at this point in time is assessing trees and properties that were affected by the wind, and mitigating that before we have another wind storm, because we most likely will,” she added.
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) officials have arrived in the community, according to an update posted Tuesday afternoon. Type 1 and Type 2 firefighters, along with an emergency response team, are aiding in the cleanup of debris on municipal property.
Crews began removing fallen trees, and four large dumpsters were setup for residents to dispose of debris.
Local business Wild Bills Pizza and this Nipawin Apostolic Church have provided meals for the crews and residents.
“We are currently in a recovery mode trying to work through the aftermath of the disaster,” Blaber said.
“Our community members have been amazing…. It’s just unbelievable how wonderful the community has come together during this time supporting one another. We’ve had a lot of neighbours helping neighbours, a lot of people with specialized skills and equipment coming into assist, and neighouring communities have been phenomenal in helping as well.”
Environment Canada issued a tornado watch for several parts of central Saskatchewan on Sunday, including Prince Albert, Battlefords, and Saskatoon. Several areas were also issued a tornado alert and were advised to take immediate cover in a basement for safety.