A phrase Manitobans have become all too familiar with during an exceptionally wet spring has resurfaced: an overland flood warning.
The weather system, bringing heavy rain to areas south of Highway 1 and Highway 16, prompted the provincial government to issue the latest warning.
Between 25 and 150 millimeters of rain could fall through Tuesday before tapering off overnight, the province said.
Localized flash flooding is possible in areas of heavier rainfall, the province said in a Twitter post Monday afternoon.
Thunderstorms moved into Manitoba Monday night and will cross the southern part of the province during the day, according to Environment Canada, which has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for a number of areas.
A new weather system could bring 25-150mm of rain over the next 48 hours to all areas south of pic.twitter.com/mEtKk4ZsNZ
—@MBGov
A tornado warning was in place for the area around St. Jean Baptiste and rural Morris at about 5 a.m., but that has since ended.
“It looks like the strongest wind gusts we’ve had were 117km/h at Baldur [southeast of Brandon]so not that severe, but definitely severe,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Kayla Billows.
“So far we have no reports of damage, but we will probably hear about some.”
However, social media has been abuzz with reports of power outages and flooding in basements in parts of the province.
The earliest storms are likely to taper off in the morning, but conditions will develop again in the afternoon, Environment Canada said in its watch warnings.
Channels are full, power is off
The Interlake town of Teulon is well north of the Trans-Canada Highway, but was still hard hit by Monday’s early cluster of storms.
Mayor Anna Pazdzierski said the rain was so heavy that the water in her yard was deep enough for a child to swim in.
“I checked my neighbor’s rain gauge — 4½ inches [114 mm] and climbing since this morning. It started around 4am. The heavens opened.”
She described the rain as falling in sheets at times during the morning.
“The canals are full, the power is out in half the city. People are trying to get gas for their generators, keep their sump pumps running, [but] two of the gas stations are without power,” Pazjerski said around 8 a.m. Tuesday, before power was restored to the area around noon.
“Most of the city now has more water than during the spring flood. There is water everywhere.”
Manitobans experienced a spring that produced some of the worst flooding on record, including the fourth largest Red River flood on record.
“Unprecedented rains over very saturated soils resulted in significant and widespread flooding across the province,” said a report last month from the Manitoba Hydrological Prediction Centre.
From April 1 to June 19, much of the Red River basin received over 330 millimeters of rain – more than double the normal amount for that period.
Add Comment