Evacuation alert issued for community near Fort McMurray due to flooding potential. Follow live updates here.

A northern Alberta community was put on evacuation alert Tuesday morning because of the potential of a 20-kilometre-long ice jam to cause flooding.

Draper’s 140 residents were told they should be ready to leave on short notice.

Follow this story for live updates throughout the day:

Evacuation alert issued Tuesday morning

The unincorporated community is located on the southern bank of the Clearwater River in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, about 12 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray.

An ice jam that formed on the Athabasca River has caused the level of the Clearwater River to rise 4.5 metres, according to the latest data. The Athabasca River’s level has risen 5.5 metres.

Clearwater River flows west from northwestern Saskatchewan and joins Athabasca River near Fort McMurray.

The province is monitoring the ice jam.

A 25-kilometre-long ice jam on the Athabasca River in 2020 caused half a billion dollars in damages when it flooded downtown Fort McMurray.

Alex Antoneshyn, CTV News Edmonton digital producer

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