Heavy rain causes flooding, leaks in Yellowknife

Flashes of heavy rain in Yellowknife Monday caused the closure of one government office and issues at Stanton Territorial Hospital.

The motor vehicle office in Yellowknife was forced to close Tuesday after flooding on the main floor of the government building on 49 Street.

Greg Hanna, spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure, confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that a drain pipe malfunctioned during heavy rain on Monday.

The issuing office is the only area affected. It will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of the damage, Hanna said, but could remain closed for the rest of the week.

The Driver and Motor Vehicle offices handle services like vehicle registrations and issuing drivers' licences. The offices had already been offering limited services due to COVID-19 restrictions, causing longer wait times.

"We recognize the importance of driver and vehicle services for residents and are committed to restoring services in the Yellowknife issuing office as soon [as] damage has been assessed and repaired accordingly," Hanna said.

There is no cost estimate for the damage to the DMV office yet. 

Hanna said the department will keep people up to date on its social media pages. Some services are still available online at www.idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca.

Stanton trauma bay leak

In an email to CBC, David Maguire, spokesperson for the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Authority, says there was also a leak in the hospital's trauma bay on Monday.

"A connection in a storm drain was loose and the heavy downpour of rain caused a minor leak," he said.

Maguire said the damage was minimal and there was no impact on patients. After the incident was reported around 4:20 p.m., they had a plumber in to check the area and tighten the connection, removed the water, and cleaned the area. The trauma room was back in service by 10 p.m. 

A biomedical team also came in to test and check equipment in the trauma bay. Maguire said there will also be inspections to ensure any potential "further deficiencies" are dealt with.

Rapid rainfall could cause problems: meteorologist

Monday's rainfall was recorded at about 7.8 millimetres from the Yellowknife Airport, said Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang. 

Heavier showers moved through the Yellowknife area late afternoon into the evening, Lang said.

Lang explained how 7.8 millimetres of rain can be "significant" if it falls over a shorter period of time. 

"[If] 7.8 mm falls over 24 hours, [that's] gentle rain ... But if it falls quickly over an hour or two, that can be an issue." 

Lang said kilometres away from the airport in town, the rain showers could be "quite heavy." If the rain falls quickly, like it did Monday, Lang said it could cause problems. 

"We've seen other places recording flooding with a similar amount," said Lang.

While that amount of rain wouldn't be an issue for cities with sewer systems designed differently and with higher rates of absorption in the ground, "in a place like Yellowknife it certainly could be" a problem, she said.

In an email, Lang also said that there was lightning in the Yellowknife area, "meaning the clouds were capable of producing heavier rain showers."