Souris River flood update

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/07/2011 (5223 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SOURIS — Souris mayor Darryl Jackson says he had no other choice when he requested military help for the flood fight in his town Saturday. 200 military members added to nearly 150 sandbagging volunteers in the town. The camouflage-clad troops were already working on dikes early Saturday afternoon. Premier Greg Selinger also reportedly paid a visit.

Jackson said the river level appeared to climb a foot overnight July 1, and he expects it to rise by 6 or 7 more by Monday. By that estimation, water will be dangerously close to the highway 22 traffic bridge that crosses the Souris River in town.

Jackson says if the water comes over the bridge, Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation must keep it closed. That makes for some tough decisions in Souris, where the fire hall sits on one side of the bridge, and the hospital and care home sit on the other.

“So, in that case, we have to separate towns divided by the river,” Jackson said.

Jackson added that ambulances and fire trucks are distributed evenly on both sides of the water, so that they can act as mobile units in case of emergency on either side.

His counterpart in Wawanesa, Bruce Gullett, says the bridge in that town is already closed for precautionary reasons. He said water speeds could weaken the piers on their highway 344 access bridge. He said it will be off limits until water levels drop and proper inspections can be made.
Work on their earthen dike was ‘99% complete’ Saturday evening.

“By Monday noon, we’ll be cleaned right up and waiting for the water,” Gullett said. “We’re sitting here waiting for whatever’s going to happen, then we’ll react hopefully appropriately.”
In Melita, Emergency coordinator Grant Hume sighed as he said he’s not sure just how much water is coming to their town.

“It’s hard to say, the water is probably eight inches up the tubes on our south dike (behind machinery row).”

Their bridge over the Souris river at highway 347 was closed Friday night because water was coming over top of it.

“It’s fine, engineers say that nothing will happen to the bridge,” he said. “They didn’t weigh it down or nothing so they’re not to concerned about it.”

Emergency Flood fight staff were helping maintain aqua dikes and patrolling the flood zone in Melita Saturday afternoon.

Hume said they are hoping for the best, but he’s not sure their diking can handle two feet on top of current river levels.

Darryl Jackson in Souris said he is still shocked by just how much water the Souris has carried thus far, and the preparations needed in his town.

“Never. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected we would have to prepare for this kind of water,” he said.

Officials from each town said at this point, they are basically waiting to see just how much water comes down the Souris River.

» tgillis@brandonsun.com