Niverville saw a massive downpour overnight, with about 125 millimetres, nearly five inches, of rain falling between September 11 and 12. Streets filled quickly, but by early afternoon on Friday, the water had drained away, leaving only trails of grass clippings, small branches, and leaves as a reminder of the storm.
Mayor Myron Dyck says the town’s infrastructure handled the storm as it was designed to.
“Yeah, so obviously, we had a significant rainfall in a short period of time,” Dyck explained. “What I can say is that within about an hour after the storm stopped, our drainage system was significantly drained, meaning that it did hold up to what it’s been intended to do.”
Still, with that much rain falling so fast, Dyck says it’s only natural that water would pool temporarily in low spots like streets, curbs, and yards.
Dyck pointed to two key pieces of infrastructure that help Niverville deal with extreme weather.
"After the flood of 1997, there was a dike system set up on some of the borders of our town, so that we no longer have as much water flowing through the town itself, but rather directed around the perimeter,” Dyck said. “The second thing is, with Niverville being more recently built, the province has mandated retention ponds. Once water has flowed away from the community, these ponds can then be released through a series of sluice gates so that there’s not as much inundation inside the town.”
Dyck said the system did what it was supposed to do, but Council will keep looking ahead.
“We currently have an online survey which we want to encourage residents to fill out. It's regarding municipal services and climate change,” he said. “We want to be proactive, looking at our asset management plan.”
The mayor added that the town continues to work with the province on larger drainage issues, like clearing out overgrown waterways to make sure water released from the town has a clear path to the Red River. He also said regional leaders are talking about upgrading infrastructure so it can handle more than the current “two-inch rain” standard.
Beyond infrastructure, Dyck said he was encouraged to see the community rally around one another. Businesses like Niakwa Pizza offered special discounts for families dealing with basement flooding, and residents used social media to organize help for neighbours.
“Obviously, it brings a smile to my face,” Dyck said. “There have been times people said we’re losing our small-town feel. But when you see situations like this, this is the small-town feel. This is why you move to Niverville. This is the value system that people have here, where we do care for one another.”
He added, “The businesses that are here … they understand there are times to make a dollar and there are times to make a relationship better. That’s why I love being part of Team Niverville.”
It was noted on the town's social media page that despite the heavy rain on Friday, the weekend's Community Wide Garage sales will go on as planned.