According to the Wood Buffalo municipality the Athabasca River breakup is complete and the risk of flooding for residents who live near the river is reduced. During the breakup ice jams in the river can cause the waters to overflow the banks and cause flooding in the local area. Many consider the end of the ice breakup in the river the true start of spring, and the temperatures have cooperated to remove the ice quickly and help it flow downriver. This does not mean that it is safe to venture near the river banks or to the shoreline because the ice melt and spring thaw could still cause flooding and dangerous conditions. Because of these factors the municipality is warning residents to avoid the shoreline and the banks of the river right now if they can do so, and there is still some risk of flooding but this risk has significantly decreased now that the ice has been broken up and much of it has moved on.

The Athabasca River break up typically happens in early spring but this is not always the case. In 1954 the river did not even start cracking until May 9, but in 1885 the river started to experience an ice breakup on April 9, the earliest it has occurred. This year the ice started to break apart on April 10, and last year this occurred on April 14. Warmer than usual temperatures have helped the breakup according to the Wood Buffalo municipality but there is still danger. As the chunks of ice flow downstream they can still create a jam which can block the river. If this happens then anyone in areas behind the blockage could still see flooding.