The city of Brandon has declared a state of emergency as provincial forecasters predict water levels in the Assiniboine and Shellmouth river watersheds will rise this week, peaking near levels seen in the historic floods of 2014.
Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the declaration allows the city to take “necessary actions” to protect the community as it prepares for rising waters.
“While there are no evacuation orders currently in place, we are taking a proactive approach to ensure the safety of residents and maintain critical city services,” Fawcett said in a media release.
The city government said its emergency operations center remains fully active and the flood response is being coordinated across city departments with assistance from provincial agencies, emergency services and local partners.
On Friday, the city announced the temporary closure of levees at Grand Valley Road and 18th Street to help mitigate flooding. The city said minor cleanup at the site is possible Monday as crews continue to monitor conditions.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit western Manitoba last week, with Brandon recording more than 50 mm of rain on Monday alone. At times, more than 60 highways were closed across the province.
However, the city is still in better condition than other communities in the north.
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The town of Swan River evacuated 150 residents on Wednesday after heavy rain that Environment Canada said reached 107 mm in just a few days. The average amount of rainfall in the region throughout June was 80 mm, the agency said.
The storm occurred before the city could recover from devastating flooding in early June.
“Everywhere we had flooding three weeks ago, we had the same flooding, only bigger flooding,” said Swan River resident Bill Gade. “(The flooding) was bad, and it’s much worse now. It’s hard to imagine.”
Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson said on Friday that water levels appeared to have fallen by about 30 cm, but remained rising by several meters in some places.
City officials say they are stuck waiting for water levels to recede before they can begin cleanup efforts. Gade said he believes repair costs will start at around $10 million.
Eleanor Olszewki, federal minister for emergency management, confirmed Friday that the federal government has approved aid for flood-ravaged areas in western Manitoba. The support will include the deployment of a small team from the Canadian Armed Forces to assist with logistics and resource coordination.
Rain is expected to continue across western Manitoba on Sunday before Monday brings some relief.
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