Rising Red River in U.S. raises concerns in Manitoba

The Manitoba government is warning residents about an increase in water levels on the Red River north of Emerson, which could lead to a higher river level in Winnipeg in the coming days.

The province’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre announced Thursday that the southern portion of the river in the United States received up to 80 millilitres of precipitation between Dec. 24 and 27.

“Water levels have increased by about five feet near Emerson and are peaking,” the centre said in a statement. “Water levels continue to rise north of Emerson bringing a three- to five-foot rise as the river approaches Winnipeg in the next three to five days.”

The centre warns that the rise in water levels may lift the ice and create open water conditions near the shorelines along the Red River. People walking near the river are asked to take precautions.

The spring flooding outlook for Manitoba will be released in February and March.