The Red River is peaking at several points in southern Manitoba.
According to Fisaha Unduche, Executive Director for Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure's Hydrologic Forecasting and Water Management centre, snow melt is essentially complete in most basins, with run-off and flows having peaked and on the decline. The exception, however, is the Red River.
"In most cases, rivers stayed within the banks, occasionally going over the banks in some rivers creating minor to moderate flooding," he explains. "The Red River is going through the peak this week from Emerson to north of Emerson, and overland flooding is being reported everywhere within the Red River Valley."
Meantime, the Centre is closely watching a few rounds of forecasted precipitation over the next 10 days in the U.S. and Manitoba portions of the Red River Basin and Roseau River Basin.
"(It) could bring ten to fifteen millimetres of precipitation within the next seven to ten days," outlines Unduche. "At this point in time, we don't see this system will create additional, or a second peak, that exceeds the first peak. We expect the recession will be longer (and) high flows could remain for several days or weeks. Other than that, the system as is forecast today, is not going to create any major issues."
While river flooding was a relative non-event this spring, a few municipalities did experience some isolated areas of overland flooding.
Johanu Botha, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and head of Manitoba’s Emergency Management Organization, explains.
"We have seen a couple of States of Local Emergency, one is still active. Well over thirty local authorities have seen road closures, eight communities were in pump stage. We operated our provincial flood control structures and, as the Minister noted, we've been in constant contact with local authorities and emergency management partners throughout the response."
Botha says Manitoba EMO will remain in a state of readiness through the spring, summer and into the fall.
