HAY RIVER - The West Channel area of Hay River was voluntarily evacuated Friday when the town declared a precautionary local state of emergency because of flooding from the river's spring break-up.

By early evening, about a half-kilometre of the road to West Channel was closed to all but emergency vehicles, when it was submerged under two feet of water..

Low-lying areas were also flooded, although it appeared the half-dozen houses in the vicinity escaped damage. The West Channel area was reopened to residents at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

The environmental health officer, assistant fire marshal and the fire chief inspected the West Channel on Saturday and cleared everyone to return to their homes.

"On inspection there does not seem to be any property damage and we have not received any calls about damage," Mayor John Pollard reported Sunday morning. "It was a close run thing, but luck was on our side."

Most flooding occurred when water backed up Oxbow Creek. Some water also came over a section of berm behind the West Point First Nation band office, until crews reinforced the berm.

Joseph Bozynski, who had his canoe and paddle on hand, was one of a half-dozen residents who did not evacuate from West Channel, where there are about 60 homes.

"If I have to, I'll just paddle my way out of here," he said.

Bozynski noted he lives in an area of West Channel that has never flooded, despite living just yards from the berm along the Hay River.

In another area of West Channel, Alex Morin also stayed.

"I've been through all the floods in Hay River," he said.

Morin's daughter and her two children, who live in the same house, left to stay with a relative elsewhere in town.

"It's just because of my children," said Laverne Morin.

As for her father's decision to stay, she said, "I know he's not going to go unless they drag him out of here."

About a dozen people from West Channel stayed in an emergency shelter at the Hay River Community Hall.

The rest stayed with relatives and friends.

The break-up of the river began just after midnight on April 27 and the ice moved for about two hours.

It started to move again at about 1 p.m. Friday and roared down the West Channel until stopping at about 6 p.m.

Pollard said it was not unusual for the break-up to go down the West Channel, but he'd never seen the speed at which the water and ice moved. "It was just the sheer velocity of it," he said, noting it was moving from eight to 11 kilometres an hour.

The mayor also said the length of time it continued to move without jamming was unusual.

No ice went out the East Channel, but some crumpled break-up ice moved into that channel. Aso of Saturday, the East Channel was still partly covered by solid ice.

The Old Village of Hay River Reserve, which is on the East Channel, was evacuated Friday as a precaution.