'I'm devastated': Manitobans cleaning up after surge of rain floods communities

Manitobans are continuing to mop up after a deluge of rain hit southern Manitoba earlier in the week.

Multiple communities, including Steinbach, Blumenort and Kleefeld, were hit with heavy rain. About 156 mm of rain fell in Steinbach as of Tuesday afternoon, causing overland flooding, closing streets and flooding basements.

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In Kleefeld, Khristy Butler is still picking up the pieces after the onslaught.

“I’m devastated. This was my home,” she said, tears in her eyes.

Butler's basement filled with more than five feet of water from the storm.

“I've lost everything down here. I've lost, I've pretty much lost my whole house. It's not livable right now,” she said.

Flooding inside of Khristy Butler's home in Kleefeld, Man. following rain on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Khristy Butler)

Everything in her basement is ruined, and she said her insurance covers only a fraction of the damage.

"The $10,000 will cover my electrical panel replacement, my furnace and my hot water tank - that's it. Everything else is up to me," she said.

Butler said she raised concerns about poor drainage in her subdivision, hoping a situation like Tuesday wouldn't happen.

Flooding outside of Khristy Butler's home in Kleefeld, Man. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Khristy Butler)

"Insurance isn't going to cover everything that everybody's lost, and it's horrible. I'm not the only one here," she said.

Butler has had to move in with her daughter, and isn't sure when she'll be able to return.

She's not alone.

Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk said on Tuesday alone, there were more than 100 calls to the city about flooded homes and basements

"I've never seen a storm like this in Steinbach," he said.

Earl added it will take up to a week to determine the full extent of damage and see if they need to apply to the province for help.

"Even if the infrastructure is good and working well, it does have an impact on it," he said. "We know that there's some things we're going to have to do, and we just want to make sure we assess it completely, that we don't miss anything."

Jim Funk, Reeve of the RM of Hanover, said multiple homes in the area were damaged due to the flood.

“There's an awful lot of damage within our communities, with basements and yards and so forth, so there will be damage, you know, to repair as we go from here after the water completely recedes,” he said.

Jim said some basements took on over six feet of water during the storm.

Both communities said they will seek help from the province.

A spokesperson from the provincial government said they are working with the affected communities, but official requests for disaster financial assistance have not been received as of Thursday.