The flooding of Westman
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In the wake of Sunday evening’s storm systems that brought hail and more rain through Westman communities, Sun photographer Tim Smith went up in a plane over the Assiniboine River valley up to Russell, Man. to get a birds-eye view of the flood situation, while reporter Abiola Odutola updated the flood situation around the region.
The latest round of heavy rain has added another layer of concern for municipalities already preparing for rising river levels across Westman, although the extent of its impact remains uncertain.
Municipal leaders said the additional rainfall will contribute to runoff, but whether it significantly worsens the anticipated flooding will depend on water levels throughout the watershed over the coming days.
In Minnedosa, Mayor Ken Cameron said every rainfall increases concern when rivers are already nearing their banks.
“Every time we get rain, it’s going to add to the flow rates,” Cameron said. “We won’t know the full effect until we receive the province’s next update because we also receive water from other areas through the river system.”
Boissevain resident Jonah Neufeld said the latest rainfall will add to flooding concerns across the region.
“There’s no doubt to me that the rain will add to flood projections,” he said. “Locally, I’ve seen swaths of crops drowned out already. Our soils are already saturated, so there’s nowhere for the water to go but downstream.”
Oakland-Wawanesa is closely monitoring both the Little Souris and Assiniboine rivers.
Chief administrative officer Joni Swidnicki said municipal officials were gathering updated river information while contacting property owners along the Assiniboine River to encourage precautionary measures.
“We’re hearing the Assiniboine is going to rise over the next few days,” she said. “We’re reaching out to residents who may be affected so they can begin preparing.”
However, Brandon officials say the city’s latest assessment suggests Sunday’s rainfall is not expected to substantially worsen the forecast flooding.
Mayor Jeff Fawcett said municipal staff reported that the amount of rain that fell in Brandon — and across much of the upstream basin feeding the Assiniboine River — was not enough to significantly alter river forecasts.
“The information I got is no, it won’t have a significant impact at all,” Fawcett told the Sun.
He said preparations continue, with crews reinforcing the Canada Packers Field dike while the city and province discuss whether additional flood protection will be needed along First Street.
“The water should start rising quite significantly in a few days — Wednesday or Thursday,” Fawcett said. “We want to make sure we’re getting the message out to people to keep away from the river and the dikes if they don’t need to be there.”
» aodutola@brandonsun.com
» X: @AbiolaOdutola
