AKWESASNE – The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council declared a State of Emergency in the Territory of Akwesasne at around 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22.
“The declaration of a State of Emergency is pursuant to the inherent power of the Tribe to act in the best interest of tribal members,” noted Tribal Chief Eric Thompson. He added, “We take immense responsibility in protecting public safety and the welfare of all community members, particularly those that are currently being impacted by flooding.”
The Tribal Council signed the order to declare the State of Emergency because they believe that there is an imminent threat to the lives and property within their territory due to rising water levels and ice jams.
“We want all of our community members to please be safe during the flooding,” stated Tribal Chief Beverly Cook. She added, “Residents being impacted by the high water level should exercise caution and evacuate, if you have not already done so.”
On Wednesday, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) enacted a precautionary and non-mandatory evacuation of the affected areas, that area includes the east and west of the St. Regis River from Helena/North Road to the northern border of the Tribe’s jurisdiction.
The voluntary evacuation order will remain in effect until Saturday, as ice jams clear and waters recede.
“We continue to encourage community members to please be prepared for any type of natural hazard,” said Tribal Chief Michael Conners. He added, “Please follow instructions provided by our community’s first responders and develop your own family’s emergency preparedness plan, which may require being unable to return to your home for several days.”
A Unified Incident Command Post comprising Tribe’s Emergency Planning Office, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department and the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department and county and state agencies has been setup to monitor the flooding.
Those interested in contiued flood updates are asked to tune into 97.3fm CKON, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Facebook page and Akwesasne TV.
