The floods have forced more than 1,000 people living in Peguis First Nation to flee their homes after local authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order on Sunday.
More than 1,000 people are now staying at hotels in Winnipeg, and hundreds more are expected to leave the community.
Chief Glenn Hudson said he had never seen such severe floods and called on the military to come in and help.
“It’s worse than the 2011 flood, which was a huge event for us in terms of the floods, but I believe it’s probably one of the worst in history,” he told Marcy Marcusa, a morning radio host. broadcast on CBC Manitoba Information Radio.
The Interlake community, 160 kilometers north of Winnipeg, is the province’s most populous first nation, with about 11,000 members, 4,800 of whom live in the community.
Indigenous Services Canada said it was working with the communities of the first nations to determine immediate needs, and Canada would carefully review all requests for military assistance.
WATCH Aerial footage shows flooding at Peguis First Nation:
Aerial footage shows flooding at Peguis First Nation
This video from Sunday, May. 1, 2022 shows the extent of flood damage at Peguis First Nation, where people were forced to flee their homes over the weekend. (Submitted by Kyle McCorister) 2:07
Arlene Spence said her house was one of the first to be evacuated. The river flows right in front of her house, which is now completely surrounded by water, she said.
“It looks like a pontoon in the middle of a lake.”
Rain and snowfall
Areas in Interlake and east of Lake Winnipeg received an average of 30 to 50 millimeters of rain over the weekend, after a month of heavy rain and snowfall that have already saturated the land, the Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure Company said.
Over the weekend, ice jams at the mouth of the Fisher River led to rising water levels and overflowing roads, flooding the community despite efforts to collect sand and deploy Tiger dams.
“There are a lot of homes that have been broken into,” Hudson said.
A resident of Peguis First Nation walks through high water hips while other members walk around a house on May 2, 2022 (Tyson Koschik / CBC)
There are 480 houses near the Fisher River surrounded by floods, he said.
Other houses in remote areas have been torn apart by flooding over roads. There are at least six roads that are inaccessible due to flooding, Hudson said.
“Where roads are paved, people can’t get out,” he said.
“So when it comes to emergency services like ambulance, fire, etc., RCMP, these roads are completely cut off.
Spence spent more than two years away from home after the 2011 floods and said conditions this year looked even worse.
“It’s very stressful. It’s very difficult. Even I broke down because I’ve never seen it so bad before,” she said.
She and her husband had to give up six of their seven dogs because they could not take care of them during the flood. She worries about the condition of her house when they return.
“What are you packing?” What do you want to take? Everything in our house is brand new and will now be soaked.
A group of people from Peguis First Nation stayed behind to help protect homes from invading water. More than 1,000 members of the community are already staying at hotels in Winnipeg. (Tyson Basket / CBC)
Buses take people out of the Winnipeg community.
A spokesman for the Canadian Red Cross told CBC News that Peguis is the only community helping with Monday’s evacuation.
Hudson said the community had done its best to evacuate, but they were surprised after initial forecasts showed little risk of severe flooding.
“I know I’ve received a lot of calls and messages from people about fear of water because they obviously haven’t seen this level of event before.”
Manitoba’s first flood bulletin warning of a Fisher River flood was released on Friday.
A barrier from the Tiger Dam protects a flood-prone home of the Peguis First Nation. Chief Glenn Hudson says this year’s flood may be the worst the community has ever seen. (Tyson Basket / CBC)
The Peguis chief wants to sit down with federal and provincial officials to discuss long-term flood protection plans for the community.
Shelley Dawn McCorister said her parents’ house was in danger.
“It’s heartbreaking – heartbreaking for our elders and everyone who is so stressed and trying to deal with the pumps and the house,” she said.
Rene Spence runs a grocery store at Peguis First Nation as he tries to protect his home from flooding. (Sam Samson / CBC)
Rene Spence runs a grocery store in the community, which she continues to run while trying to protect her home.
“I try to keep an eye on my house and then keep things, for example, for food and groceries for people who stay outside in Pegis,” she said.
Hudson said the reef is not expected for another day or two, so community floods could worsen before the water begins to recede.
A drone captures a bird’s eye view of the Fisher River Cree nation after a weekend of torrential rain. As of Saturday, seven houses have been protected from tiger dams, like the one in the photo. (Submitted by Jeremy Neault)
The neighboring first nation is also affected
Just north of Peguis First Nation, Fisher River Cree Nation is also dealing with the effects of the floods.
Chief David Crate said on Saturday that only one household had been evacuated, while six others were protected by the Tiger Dam.
A number of members with medical problems have since been taken to Winnipeg and Gimli, according to the latest online flood update on Monday.
The leader and the council are asking members who left the community before the extreme floods to postpone their return plans, as road conditions are unpredictable and dangerous.
Those unable to return home are asked to contact the Fisher River Flood Command Center for more information.
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