Prairie flooding: 86 communities declare state of emergency

Some blue skies have returned, but people in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba continue to struggle against widespread flooding that has damaged roads, filled basements and covered thousands of hectares of cropland in water.

For another day, sandbagging, pumping and other emergency measures continued as towns and cities scrambled to keep flood waters at bay.

"It's crazy," said Scott Wilson, a resident of Virden, Man. "It's so disheartening when you just see it rising and rising."

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger toured the flood-affected areas on Tuesday and said the flooding is more severe than it was in the same area last year.

"This is very serious. This is the worst I've seen in several years," Selinger told reporters in Deloraine, Man.

In Saskatchewan, 53 communities have declared local states of emergency while in Manitoba, 33 municipalities have done the same.

The damage began last weekend when some municipalities received 100 to 200 millimetres of rain.

Among the hardest-hit communities is Virden, where town officials said eight to 10 properties have been flooded and 50 people have been forced from their homes.

Virden Mayor Jeff McConnell said the water has gone down about a third of a metre, but the danger is not over. The town remains in a state of local emergency as a number of roads are under water and access is limited.

"The situation has kind of stabilized," he said Tuesday. "The water is still flying through town. There are still a number of areas where the water is very, very, very high."

​The bridge on Highway 257 near Virden has been closed due to concerns it is unsafe, a situation echoed in various other rural areas.

Across the two provinces, numerous roads have been wrecked by flowing water

People in Virden spent Monday sandbagging, as dozens forced out of their homes registered at the local evacuation centre.

Across the border in Saskatchewan, another evacuation was taking place Tuesday.

Amid rising water levels, the hospital and care home in Melville were evacuated. Some 157 patients from both facilities were moved to the hockey rink.

Melville Mayor Walter Streelasky said he regretted having to move patients, but there's no choice.

"We've got water that's creeping in around our hospital, so we're taking no chances and a full scale evacuation is on," he said. "We've got a tremendous amount of volunteers sandbagging and doing all these things."

CBC Regina said the Red Cross is on its way, but the mayor said in the meantime, more volunteers are needed.

The evacuations come even as the Trans-Canada Highway reopened from Virden to the Saskatchewan border, and clearer skies are in the forecast for flood-affected areas of western Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan.

The stretch of the Trans-Canada had been closed due to water over the road. In Manitoba. On the Saskatchewan side, some sections of the Trans-Canada remained under water, including near Wolseley.

The Trans-Canada remains closed between Grenfell, Sask., and Regina, according to information on the Saskatchewan government's website.

The improved forecast provided some good news for residents in more than 60 communities in the two provinces contending with flood waters this week.

In Brandon, Canada Day started off with rain, as the city prepared to ask the province to begin a disaster financial assistance program.

Residents are being asked to report damage related to downed trees, basement flooding or overland flooding.

Brandon was where Selinger began his tour of flood-affected areas, visiting the flood dikes at 18th Street N. and Grand Valley Road in Brandon. He also visited the communities of Deloraine and Melita.

Melita is surrounded by flooded fields, and some roads in town remain closed because of flooding.

No homes are currently threatened there, but several businesses have received notice that they could be at risk if water levels continue to rise.

"It's been a bit dicey this time," said Melita Mayor Bob Walker.

"We've had big water coming from our creeks, which hasn't always been the issue — it's always been the Souris River that has threatened our dike system."

Selinger said the province has assigned a helicopter to survey the flooding situation in the southwest.

The province also activated the Red River Floodway Tuesday morning, citing fears about homes in Winnipeg.

In Saskatchewan, the Trans-Canada Highway closure stopped one Saskatchewan Roughrider fan from making it to Monday's game. Steve Laschuk said he had to take refuge at a motel near Wolseley, Sask.

"It was quite alarming because when we were travelling back from Winnipeg, the whole way until we hit Wolseley — [there] was just torrential downpour," he said.

He said the motel was later evacuated for fear of flooding.

Laschuk and the other motel guests were taken to the town hall, but he said a family took him and his wife in for the night.

"Luckily, [we were] put up with a kind family," he said. "A bit of an adventure for a simple weekend away."

Laschuk said townspeople really pulled together to help those who were stranded in the community.