About 515 people have now been forced out of their houses on the Peguis First Nation due to rising waters, said officials Wednesday.

Crews were also rushing to sandbag homes.  

Peguis First Nations Chief Glenn Hudson said that as of Wednesday morning, about 150 homes were either flooded or completely surrounded by water. He said 40 roads in the community have also been washed out by the rising Fisher River. 

Residents were being moved to Winnipeg or Gimli. 

The Red Cross has initiated a phone line to register evacuees. Evacuees are encouraged to call 1-888-662-3211.

The province also released a new flood update on Wednesday, which said a forecast for the Red River's crest levels have been "reduced slightly" but levels are still expected to be "somewhat above 2009 levels for all points on the river."

Flood watches are currently in effect on the Pembina River, near Rock Lake, and along the Souris River, near Melita.

Approximately 55 provincial highways are affected by flooding and are closed or open only to local traffic, said the province. About another 300 municipal roads are also closed. 

Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton said there have never been so many roads under water and so many rivers at capacity at the same time in the province.

Part of it is due to extensive overland flooding and ice jams, as well as frozen streams and ditches.

"I want to stress this is a very significant flood," said Ashton.

Provincial officials advised that driving on closed or water-covered roads can be hazardous.

In Winnipeg, officials said fewer homes will need to be sandbagged. It's now been reduced from 560 to 129. Most of the homes needing sandbags are on Kingston Crescent, Scotia Street and Glenwood Crescent. Volunteers are still needed to help. Anyone interested in assisting is asked to call 311. 

- with a report from CTV's Caroline Barghout