‘We’re very nervous’: Minnedosa braces for rising floodwaters

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MINNEDOSA — The town of Minnedosa is under a flood watch as the water levels of the Little Saskatchewan River continue to swell.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/05/2022 (1258 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MINNEDOSA — The town of Minnedosa is under a flood watch as the water levels of the Little Saskatchewan River continue to swell.

According to a notice released by the town Thursday afternoon, 20 to 50 millimetres of rain was expected to hit Minnedosa over three days. Water levels are anticipated to rise two to four feet and those living in low-lying or high-risk areas have been advised to prepare a 72-hour emergency kit in case of evacuation.

“Everything is saturated and we have some overland flooding, but the situation is stable at the moment,” Jim Doppler, the chief administrative officer for the Town of Minnedosa, Friday afternoon.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun
A volunteer trudges through mud as they carry sandbags to a protective dike in Minnedosa.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun A volunteer trudges through mud as they carry sandbags to a protective dike in Minnedosa.

The flood warning is expected to remain in place and the river is expected to crest in the next two to three days.

Logs are being removed from the Minnedosa Dam at the direction of the province to release rising waters. Log removals are essential to address the excess water pressure on the structure, which could eventually lead to the dam bursting.

“There’s still a couple of logs in place,” Doppler said. “[Log removal] is a preventative measure for the surge that is coming from the north.”

Minnedosa residents were on edge Friday as they filled sandbags and watched the river rise with each drop of rain. Memories of the 2020 flood were all too present.

The Sun reported 155.5 millimetres alone fell in Minnedosa on June 28, 2020, but the community is better prepared this time around thanks to the lessons it learned back then, Doppler said.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun
Town of Minnedosa public works operator Kevin Hislop and public works lead hand Justin Hunt remove logs from the dam at Minnedosa Lake, which flows into the Little Saskatchewan River, to relieve pressure on the dam and decrease the lake water level.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Town of Minnedosa public works operator Kevin Hislop and public works lead hand Justin Hunt remove logs from the dam at Minnedosa Lake, which flows into the Little Saskatchewan River, to relieve pressure on the dam and decrease the lake water level.

The town has been speaking with the province during the emergency and receiving regular updates on flood impacts. A provincial regional emergency manager is on location helping to secure needed resources for the town.

The Sun contacted the province for comment Friday afternoon but didn’t receive a response by press time.

The town’s public works building has become a designated location for local volunteers to prepare sandbags for diking. As of Friday, more than 10,000 bags have been filled and dispersed in the community.

The town is currently in a good position in terms of supplies, Doppler said. Officials continue to update the town’s social media accounts to keep the community informed.

“The community once again is stepping up. We’ve got lots of volunteers coming out sandbagging, transporting sandbags, donating food, delivering food,” Doppler said. “It’s a great community spirit.”

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun
Water roars through the dam at Minnedosa Lake into the Little Saskatchewan River on Friday.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Water roars through the dam at Minnedosa Lake into the Little Saskatchewan River on Friday.

Scott Burgess was on hand to stack sandbags in front of businesses along Main Street Friday. “We’re very nervous, but I think with the prep that has been done, and can be done, now it’s just wait and see.”

Sandbagging was postponed until the province announced that logs must be removed from the dam early Friday. Volunteers began sandbagging at 12:30 p.m.

It was heartening to see people coming together to put flood mitigation infrastructure in place, Burgess said.

The 2022 flood experience feels “almost like PTSD,” afte 2020’s events. He said it is a different situation as the community has had more time to prepare for the rising waters.

“Everyone’s quick to panic because it’s a huge reminder,” Burgess said. “It absolutely is a lot of non-fond memories.”

Chelsea Kemp/The Brandon Sun
Susan Glasgow ties sandbags at the Minnedosa public works building Friday.
Chelsea Kemp/The Brandon Sun Susan Glasgow ties sandbags at the Minnedosa public works building Friday.

Sandbags piled more than a foot high lined the Canadian Photonic Labs storefront. The business had been prepping for the flood for three days, owner Mark Wahoski said.

“It’s miserable rainy weather now to do this, but everybody has just got to get it done,” Wahoski said.

It has been a community effort to brace for the rising waters, he said, and people are bringing trucks and bodies to shuffle sandbags where they are needed.

“It’s a little bit different than the 2020 flood where we had the rains that just kept coming and you never knew when they were going to end,” Wahoski said. “This one, we have a little bit more preparedness on it, we’re ahead of everything so far, but we know the water is coming up.”

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

Chelsea Smith/The Brandon Sun
Mark Wahoski inspects sandbags outside his business in Minnedosa Friday.
Chelsea Smith/The Brandon Sun Mark Wahoski inspects sandbags outside his business in Minnedosa Friday.

» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp

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