With so much rain coming down very quickly in the southeast, homeowners should be prepared for any flooding, which could wreck their homes during the rainy season. So far, Estevan has received more than its monthly average of rain in around 48 hours, so any further moisture could have a big impact.
City of Estevan EMO Coordinator Helen Fornwald talks about some of the ways homeowners can keep their properties safe.
"Well before a flood, we want you to tune into our local radio station for any information we can provide them. If a danger is immediate, you want to shut off all your power in your home. You want to take precautions to safeguard or minimize the danger to electrical, natural gas, or propane heating equipment."
"Move your furniture, electrical appliances, and any other belongings to floors above that flood level. You want to remove toxic substances like pesticides to prevent harming the environment. Remove your toilets on the basement level. Plug the sewer connections and the drain floor. Make sure you have arrangements for your pets, for sure."
While the flood's ongoing, Fornwald recommends people stay away from flooded areas and any flowing water. That includes driving through floods and avoiding bridges if the water is high and flowing strongly.
For those who use well water, which may become contaminated during a flood, some people may need to have a stock of bottled water on hand.
For more information on flooding safety, people can head to the City of Estevan or the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency's websites.
In dealing with rising water, Fornwald says there are a couple of areas that people should keep a sharp eye on with the flooding.
"It's always those couple blocks downtown on 4th Street, 5th Street as well, Spruce Drive, around Torgeson Park area, that are pretty low. And certainly on 13th Avenue, if we get enough, it accumulates quite quickly."
Fornwald says that so far, there's no indication from any provincial entities that we're at a high risk of flooding here in Estevan.