The Manitoba government now says floodwaters could reach 2009 levels as more rain is forecast for much of the southern portion of the province this weekend.
Provincial flood forecaster Fisaha Unduche says officials fear 30-80 mm of precipitation could fall over already water-logged southern Manitoba river basins starting Friday and continuing on through Sunday morning.
That’s on top of roughly 80 mm that’s fallen over the area since the start of April — some 300 per cent above normal levels — Unduche added.
“We’re going through a little bit of crazy weather,” he said at a Friday flood update.
“With this high precipitation amount, specifically precipitations received last weekend, flows in the rivers have been rising in most Manitoba basins.”
The Red River Valley received up to 70 millimetres of rain last weekend as a Colorado low parked over the province for 48 hours.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk said Manitoba had already seen its third highest level snowfall in the last 100 years before getting hit with four significant precipitation events — including a late season blizzard — in April.
“Now, with the historical rains, this spring has also provided us with some unique challenges,” he said.
Flood warnings issued
With levels on the Red, Assiniboine and many other rivers rising, a flood watch has been issued for most of the southern Manitoba basins and several municipalities in the region have already declared local states of emergency.
Most ditches and waterways are either full or nearly full, the province said, and heavy rains over a short period of time may lead to overland flooding.
Depending on exactly how much precipitation falls this weekend, Unduche said water flows on the Red River could hit between 78,000 and 98,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) in Emerson and 90,000 to 115,00 CFS at Ste. Agathe this spring.
Water levels reached roughly 87,000 CFS at Emerson and 91,000 CFS in Ste. Agathe in 2009, he said.
Peak levels are expected in Emerson May 7-9 and could remain that high until as late as May 14, , Unduche said.
He said the Red River Floodway and Portage Diversion remain in operation, and water levels in Winnipeg are expected to remain stable around 19 feet at James Avenue, although they could climb as high as 20 feet, depending on how much water the Assiniboine River brings.
The river level in Winnipeg was 17.44 feet at James as of Friday afternoon, the city said in a release.
Areas around the Assiniboine River remain under a flood warning between St. Lazare and Brandon.
Provincial forecasting shows that region could see 30 mm of precipitation this weekend, which may lead to flooding of low lying areas, Unduche said.
Detour on Highway 75 expected
As of Friday morning local states of emergencies have been declared in the RMs of Cartier and Headingley west of Winnipeg, the RMs of Montcalm, Morris and Ritchot south of the city, and the RM of Fisher in the Interlake.
Later in the day Friday the RM of Montcalm said evacuation orders had been issued for 17 households on the east side of the Red River on St. Mary’s Road, which was breached by floodwaters overnight Thursday.
Sections of at least 25 roadways had also been partially closed due to flooding in municipality by late Friday afternoon.
Emergency management head Johanu Botha said more than 20,000 sandbags along with sandbagging machines have been delivered to impacted communities and evacuation planning is underway.
Pumping operations are also in effect and crews are preparing to close dike closures as need, Botha added.
The province said crews are closely watching river levels around Morris and are working to to keep Hwy 75 — the main link between Winnipeg and the U.S. border — open as long as possible.
However, Piwniuk said rising water levels mean Hwy 75 north of Morris is expected to close Friday evening, with a minor detour rerouting traffic onto PR 205 at Aubigny along PR 246 to Hwy 23 at Morris, before joining back onto Hwy 75.
The province says rising waters may lead to dike or highway closures and drivers are warned to stay off closed roads and not to travel on roadways inundated with water.
Updated highway information can be found on the province’s website.
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Manitoba officials preparing for 2009 flood levels as more rain forecast - Global News
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