155.3 mm of rain fell during this week’s storm in Steinbach as of Tuesday at 4pm, causing flooding in basements and on City roads.
Steinbach City Manager Troy Warkentin provided a storm report on Tuesday evening at the Steinbach City Council meeting.
“According to media reports, a total of approximately six inches of rain fell in Steinbach during this period, and due to the saturated ground conditions and the amount of rain that fell, especially during this (Tuesday) morning, the City experienced significant overland stormwater flows in all neighbourhoods.”
He says that the City’s open drainage channels, creeks, and ditches throughout the City were either at capacity or over capacity, with some spilling over their banks.
“And as the storm intensified, the stormwater flood pump at the City's main lift station on Park Road West began operating at 9:00am today (Tuesday), and it continues to be in operation until the sewer system flows return to normal ranges.”
Warkentin informs that the flood pump capacity is at 485 liters per second.
“And I just got an update from the City's water works manager, the levels within the City's sewer system are still exceeding normal, and it's expected that that flood pump will continue operation into later this (Tuesday) evening.”
He confirms that all of the City’s lift stations were functional and pumping at full capacity during the storm.
Warkentin reiterates that floodwater impacted many City roads.
“In particular Park Road East, McKenzie Avenue, and Grandview Drive being some areas where the streets were actually overtopped, and that's where they cross the existing creeks within Steinbach.”
He also mentions that many of the City's peripheral gravel roads were also impacted with 16 washout areas identified by staff as of end of day on Tuesday.
As for the T.G. Smith Centre, the site experienced some overland flooding with water entering the building Tuesday morning.
As a result, the ice surface has been lost.
“The ice-making process must start over, with the ice expected to be restored and be playable in about two weeks. And if staff are able to make it happen more quickly, they will certainly try to do so.”
Warkentin says it may take several days for administration to conduct a full assessment of the impacts on City facilities and infrastructure.
“And also, more significantly, to determine the number of residential or other private properties affected by either will provide flooding or sewer backups.”