By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
The Town of Aberdeen, which is located roughly a half-hour drive east of Warman, experienced a state of emergency over the weekend due to local flooding, but the crisis has thankfully been averted thanks to a community effort and many hours of work.
On April 12, Aberdeen town council declared a state of emergency due to the flooding resulting from a quick snowmelt. The declaration was announced via a post on the town’s Facebook page, which also indicated the town was working with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and the RM of Aberdeen to mitigate the water build-up.
The RM also posted to its Facebook page April 13 about large amounts of runoff causing flooding, which resulted in several roads being closed.
On Monday, April 14, Aberdeen mayor Ryan White said they were able to mitigate the flooding by working through the day and night on Saturday, preventing any damage to local homes.
In addition to the efforts of local municipalities and other agencies, White indicated they were able to borrow a piece of equipment from a contractor working on a reservoir expansion.
The state of emergency declaration was then rescinded on Monday. White said it was a great example of a community coming together to prevent a crisis.
“It worked out for the best,” he added.