With snow and ice melting quickly in the Pembina Valley, and rain in this week's forecast, municipal officials are keeping a close eye on the situation.
Kathy Bueckert, Emergency Coordinator for Southern Emergency Response Committee (SERC), says they've been having daily meetings with the cities of Winkler and Morden, and the RM of Stanley to coordinate a response to potential flooding.
"We've been discussing resources that may be needed by each municipality, and there's such great communication between the municipalities, so this collaboration is so helpful for sharing resources and keeping everybody informed about what's coming our way."
Currently, the area that's being watched the closest, is the RM of Stanley. During Wednesday's briefing, Bueckert says municipal officials from the RM said, so far, water is draining all right in areas of potential concern.
With the quick melt, Bueckert says a big concern is overland flooding, which can result in washed-out roads. She notes ditch trenching has been taking place at areas that crews have identified as being potentially problematic. She notes a number of areas had to be re-trenched following last week's snow.
Environment Canada is calling for a couple of rainy days in the forecast, beginning Thursday afternoon. Bueckert says the potential for additional moisture is a concern, as it could create issues with sump pumps.
"Residents are advised to ensure sump pumps are in good working order and not draining into sewer systems because this could overwhelm the system which then causes sewer backup into basements. And it was a contributing factor to the issues that were seen last year when we had the heavy rainfalls."
Empty sandbags are available for Stanley residents at the RM office, and in Morden, sandbags can be picked up at the public works yard. The purchase of sand to fill the bags is the responsibility of the resident.
Bueckert says, if the need arises, SERC will coordinate volunteers to fill sandbags for residents to pick up, the same way they did last year.
Anyone that is interested in volunteering can go sign up online and complete the volunteer form. "Last year this was so encouraging to see the neighborhood and the community band together to help neighbors who were in trouble. It was really great how many people showed up."
With the rapidly changing conditions, Bueckert reminds people to stay off the ice, keep away from flood waters, and not pass barricades, as the roadway may be washed out.
Bueckert advises people to keep informed of the changing situation by listening to the news and their municipalities. She said a great way to do that is to sign up for alerts.
Winkler and the RM of Stanley use a system called Connect, and Morden uses CodeRed. Visit the respective websites to sign up to stay informed, added Bueckert.
"Beyond that, check on your neighbours who might need assistance for potential flooding. If everybody takes care of the people in their area, it does a lot to help everybody out. And then pay attention and be proactive. If you see areas of concern in your municipality, such as washed-out roads or blocked culverts, contact the after-hours numbers listed on the municipal websites to report."
Meantime, overflowing water has forced the closure of Pembina Avenue, west of the cemetery, in Winkler.
