The Red River waterway is being used for the second time this spring, as parts of southern Manitoba have been hit by heavy rain this weekend, the province said.
The flood was expected to be triggered later Saturday to control water levels in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Center for Hydrological Forecasting for Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
This is in response to a meteorological system that is expected to bring heavy snow to parts of Manitoba.
Shortly after the announcement, the province announced that Courchaine Road, from Turnbull Drive to St. Mary’s Road, south of Winnipeg, will be closed at 6pm on Saturday due to flooding.
The flooding was exploited earlier this month, but stopped as river levels fell from an earlier spring runoff.
The province said earlier this week that it would respond to the flood if necessary, and suggested so it could happen on May 1 – which means that its reactivation on Saturday will come a week earlier than expected.
As a result of the forecast for rain and snow for this weekend, a flood warning was issued for part of southern Manitoba, the statement said.
This applies to the area from the Saskatchewan border to Highway 12 in eastern Manitoba and from the US border north to Highway 1.
The affected area also extends north of the Trans-Canadian motorway, between motorways 5 and 6 and between Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg.
The country road is washed
Land floods occur when land water does not have enough time to flow into rivers and streams, which can potentially flood low-lying areas, roads and properties.
In the rural municipality of Springfield, water washed away a country road, leaving behind a massive hole and a thin layer of asphalt on top.
Const. Jesse Zillman of the Springfield Police Department said PR 207 – also known as Deacon Road – is closed on Springfield Road, just east of the Red River flood. People should avoid the area, he said.
“The province closed it because we don’t want anyone driving in a pit,” Zillman said.
The water washed away Country Road 207 on Friday night, leaving a hole in the highway and only a thin layer of asphalt on top. Police warn drivers to avoid the area. (Springfield Police Department / Facebook)
Police expect the road to remain closed for a long time as the province works to repair water damage.
“I’m not a road builder, I’m a police officer, but I suspect it won’t be a matter of days. It will be a matter of weeks,” Zillman said.
Other gravel roads are flooding the area, he said, but none have been affected as severely as PR 207.
The province said that because heavy rainfall in a short period of time could cause land floods, people were warned that water levels could rise suddenly in the affected areas.
Most pools in central and southern Manitoba have already received up to 40 millimeters of rain, with another 30-50 millimeters expected on Saturday and Sunday. Some areas could reach 80 millimeters by noon on Monday, the statement said.
And because some ditches and waterways are covered with ice or contain snow, water flows are also still limited.
Water levels in most tributaries in the Red River Basin and along the main riverbed are rising rapidly due to recent rainfall and will continue to rise in the coming days, the province said.
But with average daily temperatures forecast to fall below zero early next week, the remaining snow is expected to melt slowly.
The Red River in Winnipeg is pictured on April 20. The province says water levels in most tributaries in the river basin and along its main trunk are rising rapidly due to recent rainfall and will continue to rise in the coming days. (Trevor Brine / CBC)
Forecasters will continue to monitor rainfall in Manitoba and assess the effect on watercourses and levels in the province. Updated information on the river forecast is available on the provincial website.
The Manitoba Emergency Management Organization is also still working with local authorities and emergency management partners to provide support for flood preparedness and response.
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