Mayor warns homes, infrastructure at risk as more river bank erodes in Deer Lake

Officials with the town of Deer Lake are urging several residents on Pine Tree Drive to leave their homes because more of the bank along the Humber River has eroded — and more people should be prepared to flee.

"We're within single-digit numbers, seven, eight feet from water and sewer lines here now," Mayor Dean Ball said Monday.

"One major slippage could take that out. If the water and sewer gets taken out of this street by another landslide, that will then impact whether people stay or go."

Town officials said the situation "has gotten worse over the weekend," and that four houses are "in jeopardy."

Even a utility pole had shifted, prompting Newfoundland Power to install new ones on the opposite side of the road, where the ground is more stable.

Residents on the affected street in the town's west end have been told there is a volunteer evacuation plan in place and that specifically, four homeowners should heed the warnings.

"You got people, 80-plus years old. They've lived there all their life, and it's a difficult situation, and it is heart-wrenching and nerve-racking to say the least," said Ball.

"We gave them our commitment yesterday that we're in this for the long haul together."

Mild temperatures a concern

Ball said the Red Cross has set up an evacuation centre where people can stay if the situation worsens.

"Once this road starts to slip, I think that's going to be the decision-maker for a lot of these residents," said Ball, who said he's very concerned about more damage to the town's infrastructure.

Ball is concerned the mild temperatures expected mid-week could make the situation worse.

"There is nothing that we can do ... we have no control over our weather patterns right now," he said.

Municipal crews had started putting in a bypass road earlier to provide residents with an alternative means of getting out of the Pine Tree Drive area, according to the release.

Officials say they will continue to monitor the situation on a regular basis and the the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church is available in the event an evacuation is ordered.

Late Friday afternoon, the town warned residents to stay on alert over the weekend since the risk of flooding remained, even with water levels slowly subsiding.

"Significant concerns" remained about Pine Tree Drive and Riverbank Road, that advisory stated.

'Scary, unreal'

Two homeowners on Pine Tree Drive evacuated on the advice of government last Thursday due to "considerable slippage of the bank into the Humber," the town said at the time.

"I just finished packing up all the land deeds, insurance, the pictures, anything I can get off the walls or downstairs, all packed in Tupperware now," Christine May told CBC News at the time.

She had been helping her parents pack up, since they could not wait any longer and decided to leave.

"[It's] scary, unreal. I'm still in shock," May added.

Clarification : A previous version of this story suggested the pole could fall on homes. That was not the case.(Jan 22, 2018 2:26 PM)