Landslide risk means some Trout River families still not allowed into homes

Five days after flooding forced people out of their homes in the small western Newfoundland community of Trout River — the lone town still under a state of emergency — some have still not been allowed to return because of landslide fears.

Trout River resident Trudy Butler told CBC's Corner Brook Morning Show on Thursday that the flood was overwhelming.

Three years ago when it happened to my brother, it was about two years before I could sleep … now it's going on again, I don't say I'll be able to sleep at all.- Trudy Butler

"I was completely surrounded by water. It was squeezing up through my floor," she said.

"I had a car down the driveway that got ruined by the flood. I couldn't get my dogs out. My sister's house next door, she couldn't get in there — it was devastating."

Compounding the problems Saturday was a power outage.

"That made it more scarier because you couldn't even see the water levels outside," she said.

"Everything in my two fridge is spoiled. Everything."

'We still didn't hear nothing' 

But after Butler went to Deer Lake for groceries, she returned home to an evacuation order because of landslide concerns.

"I was upset and so scared," she said. "A couple years ago, my two brothers went through the same thing … Yesterday. they had a big meeting here, and we still didn't hear nothing."

The Canadian Red Cross helped find accommodations for Butler, her 12-year-old daughter and two dogs.

Butler's voice broke during an interview as she described grabbing pictures of her parents to take with her because she didn't what else to take.

"We don't know when we're going to [be allowed to return] because we haven't had no news from no one," she said, adding that the evacuation has been traumatizing for her and her daughter.

"Three years ago when that happened to my brother, it was about two years before I could sleep … and now it's going on again. I don't say I'll be able to sleep at all."

Students still out at Jakeman All Grade

Elsewhere in Trout River, students are still out of Jakeman All Grade because the land behind the school is eroding into the river.

Tony Stack, CEO and director of education with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, said work is still going on to restore the riverbank, and he hopes the school will reopen early next week.

When you opened the back door to the gym, if you were to step out, you'd step out into a raging river, essentially.- Tony Stack

An engineering firm has been checking the work to make sure it's effective, he said, with the district expecting a formal report today on the restoration work.

"We would never put children back into that building unless we were totally assured that everything was structurally sound," he said.

"When we're reassured that the building is safe we will reopen as soon as possible."

Similarities to Hurricane Igor

Stack, who visited the school Wednesday, said the situation was dangerous.

"Precarious and perilous [are] two words that come to mind," he said. "When you opened the back door to the gym, if you were to step out, you'd step out into a raging river, essentially."

Stack is the former brigadier-general who organized the military's response to Hurricane Igor, and while he said last weekend's flooding can't be compared with the 2011 hurricane, there are some similarities.

"Certainly you can never underestimate the power of water and nature. It was intense, no question," he said.