River breakup complete, flooding concerns over for RM of Wood Buffalo

Drone footage from the Athabasca River on April 28, 2026. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)

With river breakup now complete, northern Alberta communities are no longer at significant risk of an ice jam causing flooding, the Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) said Thursday.

Both the ice jam watch for Clearwater River and evacuation alert for its bankside community Draper have ended.

Draper is located south of Fort McMurray. The Clearwater River meets the Athabasca River near Fort McMurray.

The ice jam upstream of Fort McMurray broke free on Wednesday, causing a brief rise in water levels until the jam flowed into the Athabasca River.

At one point, the jam was 25 kilometres long.

“Thank you to everyone who relied on trusted sources, stayed informed, and prioritized safety during this time,” Jody Butz, RMWB’s director of emergency management and regional fire chief, said in a statement. “We have come a long way since the 2020 flood, and this spring’s response to rising water levels clearly demonstrates how prepared the community has become.”

A similar situation in 2020 caused $522 million in damages when downtown Fort McMurray flooded.