The province is now slated to release its latest flood outlook on March 26. Some Manitoba communities have already been busy preparing to guard against potential flooding along the Red River.
Communities have been keeping a close watch on what’s coming from south of the border with forecasters in the U.S. calling for a high chance of flooding in parts of North Dakota.
In the RM of St. Clements in Manitoba, officials have been taking stock of flood-fighting measures.
An emergency trailer is filled with inflatable tubes, water pumps and generators, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
“Part of the concern, obviously, we’re hearing Saskatchewan is virtually in flood stage as soon as the melt, as is North Dakota. All those waters eventually come this way,” said Ken Sim from the RM of St. Clements.
The RM also has about 4,000 sandbags ready and has bought a machine to help produce more.
“We could see an awful lot of water in a short period of time,” said Sim.
Csaba Antal lives near the Red River. In 2009, he and his wife had to tear their basement apart for the third time after water seeped into his Breezy Point home. The following year, he took measures into his own hands and had a permanent dike built.
It 2011, it saved his house from flooding. This year, he’s building it up higher to protect against rising waters.
“Last time, it came up three times and went down. In five minutes, it goes down two, three feet,” he said.
Last month, the province also dispatched amphibex machines to start work on breaking up river ice to help curb flooding.
