'We are breathing a sigh of relief': RM of Morris reeve on flood situation
Water watchers are cautiously optimistic now that the Red River crest has passed through the Rural Municipality of Morris.
Reeve Ralph Groening said although the crest was recorded in the area last Friday, so far water levels have dropped by only a few inches.
“We’ll need a drop of two feet before people can begin the process of moving back into their homes, but there is hope,” Groening told CTV Morning Live on Monday.
On the weekend, the province confirmed the Red River peaked at Ste. Agathe, St. Adolphe and the Red River Floodway inlet on May 13. While it is stable or declining upstream of Winnipeg, the river is still expected to remain high likely into June.
Groening said this spring’s flooding has displaced about 150 residents. Of the 75 evacuation notices issued, residents of 50 properties chose to leave. Others who stayed did so to care for animals that could not be taken out of flood areas. Across Manitoba, more than 2000 residents are still away from their homes due to flooding.
Those who are anxious to return to a more normal life on their own property will have to wait for more than just the water to recede. When it does drop off, Groening said it’s likely to reveal damage that will have to be fixed before residents can gain full access again.
“We have dozens of roads that are still covered that will need repair, we have culvert washouts and we have debris. A huge flood deposits a lot of debris in low-lying areas so we are going to have to respond to that. We must repair the roads to an extent that people will be able to safely reach places from which they evacuated,” said Groening.
Some area communities, such as the Town of Morris, have had road and highway access severely restricted, affecting the flow of truck and car traffic. Groening said that’s not been the case for the main business centre of the RM, which is Rosenort. Rosenort is about 20 kilometres northwest of Morris and about 12 kilometres farther west of the Red River. That community has not seen access affected to the same extent as other towns.
Groening said the RM council plans to meet Monday morning to review and establish a plan to begin fixing damaged infrastructure as water continues to recede.
“I think we’re cautiously optimistic that we are looking at the end of the flood of 2022,”
With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé and Mason DePatie
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.