Evacuation orders issued for 17 homes in the RM of Montcalm

Evacuation orders have been issued for 17 homes in the RM of Montcalm as flood waters continue to rise in the community.

In an update released Friday, the rural municipality said flood waters breached St. Mary's Road overnight Thursday and water levels have been rising throughout the day Friday. As a result, 17 homes on the east side of the Red River on St. Mary’s Road have been told to evacuate.

In total, 25 sections of roads are closed in the area. A full list can be found online.

The RM said the coming storm, which could bring up to 80 mm of rain, will have a large impact on the flooding situation. A self-serve sandbag station is set up at the rural municipality shop on the south side of St. Jean Baptiste.

"Public Works staff will be monitoring sewer levels throughout the night Friday and all weekend during this current Colorado Low weather system," the RM of Montcalm said in its update, adding residents are asked to drain their sump pumps outside, and not into the sewer system.

"Sump pumps that drain into the sewer system create the hazard of causing sewer backups due to overloaded lift stations."

Montcalm is among six communities that have declared local states of emergency.