South of Winnipeg in rural Richot, 90 homes have received voluntary evacuation alerts since Sunday – two more than the day before – and only 10 have left, Mayor Chris Even said. He believes most people stay in their place because they have seen similar floods in the past, including the worst in 1997. “We’ve been through this. All the infrastructure is able to provide security around the St. Adolf area. The embankment ring is playing. Now we have the flood road so that more water can be taken in. So people feel much more comfortable. to stay home, “Ewen said. “They did their due diligence. They make sure they are prepared for it.”
Evacuations at Morris, Dufferin
In the rural borough of Morris, about 30 homes had been identified for evacuation since Saturday morning, Reeve Ralph Groening said.
Ralph Groening is the swimmer in the rural town of Morris in southern Manitoba. He says some people have been forced to flee their homes in the area because they may soon lose their road access amid rising water levels. (Trevor Brine / CBC)
These sites were highlighted because they may soon lose their road access and because their residents had to flee their homes during floods in 2009 and 2011 – something Groening said was the last time the community saw so much water. as high as it reaches now.
“This is not a new exercise for many, but we have some new residents. So we will work with them to ensure they stay safe and encourage relocation,” Groening told CBC Weekend Morning Show guest Keisha Paul. .
Morris was one of six rural municipalities to declare a local state of emergency earlier this week. But as of Saturday night, the rural town of Daferin had also been added to the list, said Reeve George Gray.
Residents fill sacks with sand in St. Adolphe, Man. on Sunday. (CBC)
Gray said only six families had to leave their homes in this community, but more evacuations could be done.
“I have never seen water higher and it comes very fast,” he said.
The community hall in the area has been set up as an emergency area, where people displaced by the flood can register and find a place to stay and a cup of coffee, he said.
Reeve Paul Gilmore from the RM of Montcalm says 40 households were called in to evacuate and 30 complied.
She is worried about the other 10, so RCMP was called in to monitor their safety.
“We remain vigilant with the situation,” he said.
The arable land in the rural borough of Morris is underwater as floodwaters rise in parts of the county. (CBC)
Unofficial amounts of rainfall from Environment Canada on Sunday morning show that the town of Carman, in the municipality of Dufferin, was hit hard by the recent rains.
It was about 58.4 millimeters. By comparison, the southeastern community of Kleefeld – about 44 miles from Morris – had about 35.6 millimeters.
A little further south, the city of Morden had a warning for boiling water was issued for its public water supply system early Sunday afternoon, after being allowed to enter poorly treated water into the distribution system.
In some areas of the province, rising water has led to the closure of highways. A complete list of these closures is available on the county website.
The community “will take the fight together”
Groening said that knowing how the community handled the flood of the century in 1997 gives him confidence that they can adequately meet the challenges they now face.
“We will take the fight together,” he said.
“Our people are tired. They are tired, but they are ready to respond. And so are we. [as] “The council, as the public works staff, the administration and the emergency coordinator – we are prepared and we have plans to deal with what looks like a flood threat for a week and a half.”
LISTEN RM of Morris declared a local state of emergency last week:
Morris Weekend Morning Show (Manitoba) 8: 25RM declared a state of emergency last week
When you are heading a city that is prone to flooding, sometimes an emergency call is helpful. Guest Keisha Paul checked in with Morris Reeve Ralph Groening to find out how some of the vulnerable households are dealing with the flood waters. 8:25
For Morris farmer David Hublin, the downpour in southern Manitoba in recent weeks has been heavy.
Of the approximately 4,000 acres he operates, about 500 were under water on Saturday – a number he said he expects to continue climbing.
Kennedy Street in Morris is closed amid rising water levels in the area. (Radjaa Abdelsadok / Radio Canada)
“We need the rain to stop and we need the sun to come out and some heat. The big thing is to get the water moving and leaving the fields,” said Hublin, whose family owns Red River Seeds.
Hublin said high water levels would mean a much later date for planting crops – and a significant drop in yield expectations. With the latest flood forecast, he said he did not expect all of his crops to be planted by June.
In view of warmer weather
Despite the rain, the rural borough of Morris may now have the weather on its side, Groening said. While it rained a lot in the area, the amount that fell was actually less than expected – and warmer temperatures coming in would help as well. Environment Canadian meteorologist Dan Fulton said the highs would approach 20 degrees – then exceed that mark with a forecast of 23 degrees in some areas for Friday. “The storm is practically over,” Fulton said. “We’re really looking at a dry week and we’re actually warming up – almost, I dare say, hot – to the highs.” Fulton said the recent rainfall had reached historic levels. Winnipeg saw 118 millimeters this April – the highest percentage the city has received in April since 1896, when 143 millimeters fell. “It’s almost like a wet April once in a lifetime,” he said. “It was the wettest April one can remember alive.” As for Groening, he also counts on the sense of cohesion that flood control can create to help Morris out the rest of the flood season. “[You have] “a common enemy or you have a common threat … It allows us to develop a significant enough focus to respond to events,” he said. “We have wonderful people, great staff, great people. We are not alone in that.” Groening said a public meeting is likely to be held in the coming days to give residents a chance to ask questions about dealing with the floods.
