A local state of emergency has been declared in the southern city of Morden, as rising water levels have forced dozens of people to flee their homes, the mayor said.
Brandon Burley said about 50 residences have been affected so far, but that number is expected to rise amid a rainfall warning in effect for much of the southern half of the province.
Flood crews are closely monitoring the catchment area, which was already high after heavy rains last weekend. This rain melted the snow accumulation from last month’s storm.
“The watershed was already rising high in many places with water. And that’s tilting her scales a little too far now, “Burley said.
“It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. But we have a lot of crews and volunteers helping, so we’re going to do everything we can to help the people affected.”
Environment Canada said between 10 and 25 millimeters of rain is expected to fall over parts of southern Manitoba by Sunday.
A neighborhood in Mordon, which was evacuated on Saturday, had already seen its bridge collapse during high water last weekend, Burley said.
Part of Parkhill Drive’s Mountain Street closed in Mordon on Saturday. (Raja Abdelzadok / Radio Canada)
Teams have built an emergency road out of the community, but people living there are now being asked to leave because of concerns about the road’s ability to sustain traffic over time, he said.
Burley urged people to listen to the call if they are asked to leave their homes. Failure to leave when needed can jeopardize emergency services, he said.
“We had people who refused to leave their homes when emergency personnel came, and then who called later and said, ‘The water is coming, maybe it’s time.’ So we had to go back,” he said.
“We do not release light evacuation or state of emergency reports.”
He also asked people to stay safe and not get too close to the rising water while trying to take pictures.
“It’s fun to watch things like that, but because the ambulance staff is trying to get out and around … it can be disturbing,” Burley said.
Morden’s Mountain Street South on the bridge was among many parts of the city underwater on Saturday. (Submitted by Brandon Burley)
“People just have to be safe.
Emergency response is being exhausted from Mordon City Center, Burley said, while people forced to flee their homes will be accommodated either in cots at the city’s event center or at nearby hotels if needed.
High water is causing bridges and gutters that drain nearby Deadhorse Creek through the area’s watershed to bottlenecks, leading to land floods that threaten homes near the water, Burley said.
Several streets in northwest Mordon were already closed on Saturday, while others beginning to see high water may soon be blocked as well, he said.
Those living in high-risk areas that have not yet been evacuated are receiving help from flood teams to build up sand around their homes. Burley said he expects to help fill and deliver these bags later Saturday.
For now, flood teams are taking things step by step.
“In fact, it will depend on what happens in the next 24 hours with the rainfall in our watershed, which will determine … whether we need to take more dramatic steps or not,” he said.
“Right now, we’re just working on what’s here and preparing for what we think might come tonight and tomorrow.
“Pretty scary,” said the Mordon resident
Ron and Doreen Martins live in Morden and say the creek is probably the highest they’ve seen in the 1950s, when they lived in southern Manitoba.
“It’s probably comparable to ’97. We didn’t have any problems right here at the time … the river was deep enough right there that this particular area is protected. So I think we’re fine,” Doreen said.
High water levels are normal for the Morden course, Ron added.
Ron and Doreen Martins say they have never seen the river that flows through Morden so flooded. (Thomas Asselin / Radio Canada)
“It’s something that happens from time to time and we’re used to it.”
Lee-Ann Redekop says her home is not affected by the floods, but she helped a friend pump three feet of water from their basement and now the water is seeping in again.
“It’s pretty scary. People’s houses are in danger – losing all their belongings and things, I would imagine it’s really scary for them,” she said.
Redekop says she’s not too worried about her house, but anxiety creeps in every time water levels rise.
Add Comment