More than 500 Attawapiskat First Nation residents escaped flood danger and were flown on Sunday to Thunder Bay and Greenstone. /Leith Dunick

About 400 residents from Attawapiskat First Nation are expected to land in Thunder Bay by Sunday evening, forced from their northern Ontario home because of rapidly rising flood waters.

Between eight and 10 flights were expected to be needed to transport residents from the community, which has seen water levels rise due to an ice blockage on the Attawapiskat River some 50 kilometres from the remote village.

Another 140 evacuees from the community, located on James Bay some 500 kilometres from Thunder Bay, have also been taken to Greenstone.