Most of the 14 homes flooded in Upper Liard recently are beyond repair, says the minister for the Yukon Housing Corp.

Scott Kent told the Star today assessments by government officials so far indicate two or three may be salvageable, but the rest are just badly damaged, or have been affected by environmental issues like heating fuel that spilled from home heating tanks.

Kent and representatives of several government departments were in Upper Liard on Tuesday to meet with homeowners and tour the area, which the minister is describing as devastated.

"The water was pretty high, as high as eight to 10 feet in some places,” he said. "It did some pretty crazy things to some of the outbuildings and houses.”

Kent said some of the homes were moved off their foundations. A woodshed, with eight cords of wood stacked inside, was moved – concrete pad and all – and the wood pretty much remains stacked in place, he said.

Kent said drywall has been destroyed, insulation soaked and some of the areas stink of diesel fuel.

But the complete damage assessment, along with property appraisals, has not yet been completed, he said, though he hopes everything required to make a decision about how to move forward with flood relief will be wrapped up as soon as possible.

As soon as possible, he added, was what he told the displaced residents who attended Tuesday's meeting at Upper Liard's fire hall.

Kent said government officials have previous tax assessments, but will be reviewing them along with getting the properties appraised to establish the market values.

It's likely the Yukon will seek assistance from the federal flood relief fund to assist the homeowners, though what type of program will be established won't be decided until all the information is in, he said.

The federal program, the minister noted, generally provides relief based on the market value of the two assessments.

Kent said some of the properties themselves may not be inhabitable again, given the contamination by fuel.

There is, he acknowledged, the overriding question about rebuilding in the low-lying residential area developed and sold years ago by the Yukon government, an area which also flooded in 2007, but to a much lesser degree.

Records indicate the recent flood peaked at 1.9 metres above the flood level, a full metre more than the previous high-water mark recorded 40 years ago.

Heavy spring rains and an above-average snowpack in the mountains are being blamed for flooding and washout problems across the southern Yukon.

Assistance with food and lodging for displaced residents of Upper Liard is being provided by through the Yukon's emergency relief agencies.

Cabinet spokeswoman Elaine Schiman said today residents have returned to their homes but mostly to salvage items of personal value, at least those that can be salvaged.

"There are some things that are just not going to be able to be saved,” said Schiman, who was among those visiting the site Tuesday.

"People are definitely trying to recover items that are most important to them, like photos.”

She pointed out electricity to the flooded area of the community has been turned off.

Appliances in the homes, she added, have been ravaged by water and silt.

Meanwhile, the risk of flooding in the Southern Lakes is being pegged as moderate by the territory's flood analysts.

Lake levels are currently 1.3 metres below the flood stage, but are currently rising 10 centimetres a day.

The risk of flood in the Southern Lakes region normally peaks in August, and is usually driven by above-normal temperatures affected by the melting snowpack high up in the mountains.

Records indicate when the Southern Lakes flooded in 2007, for instance, temperatures through July were well above average.

The Yukon government implemented a program to cover the cost of repairs for permanent homes, as well as a no-interest loan program to help with repairs to recreational properties.