March 25, 2009
Flood Bulletin #1
– – –Province Working with Rural Municipalities to Address Ice Jam and Flooding Problems
10:30 p.m.
Officials of the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization, Manitoba Water Stewardship, the Office of the Fire Commissioner and Manitoba Conservation are working closely with the rural municipalities of St. Andrews, West St. Paul, St. Clements and East St. Paul to deal with ice jams and resulting flooding.
Precautionary evacuations of approximately 30 homes have taken place in St. Andrews.
Heavy equipment, co-ordinated through the province, is being used to try to resolve the ice jam problem near the dam in the St. Andrews area on the Red River.
Additional provincial assistance is now being put into place:
· a second sandbag machine and 100,000 sandbags have been dispatched to the area;
· approximately 9,000 feet of water barrier (tube diking) has been deployed to the highest-priority areas; and
· the RM of St. Clements has been authorized to use leftover dirt from the nearby floodway project for construction of further dikes.
Rural Municipality of St. Andrews:
Officials have declared a state of local emergency and report flooding along River Road from Lockport to Larters Golf Course due to the ice jamming on River Road. Evacuations of low areas are taking place. The RM is hauling gravel to River Road to use as a dike. The South Fire Hall is now the emergency operations and reception centre and a provincial sand bag machine is running on site providing bags to St. Clements, St. Andrews and West St. Paul.
RM of West St. Paul:
Officials have upgraded to a local state of emergency and are advising residents along the river to protect their properties immediately. The province has sent 9,000 ft. of water diking to be deployed by the municipality in the highest priority areas of Baldock and Kenabeek streets. Sandbags are available at the West St. Paul Recreation Centre as well as at the South Fire Hall on Main Street at Donald Road in the RM of St. Andrews.
RM of East St. Paul:
Due to the ice jamming at Captain Kennedy House on River Road, water began backing up and the RM of East St. Paul has declared a state of local emergency and opened up its emergency operations centre. A door-to-door notification began at 7 p.m. to notify residents of rapidly rising water and the possibility they may have to evacuate should the water continue to rise.
RM of St. Clements:
The RM has opened its emergency operations centre, has declared a state of local emergency and is issuing sand bags to residents upon request. Sand bags are available at the RM office as well as at the South Fire Hall on Main Street and Donald Road in St. Andrews.
The province will continue to support all local efforts to ensure safety of residents and protect homes and businesses.
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