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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Damage of 'biblical proportions': U.S. envoy
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U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson (left) and Premier Greg Selinger speak to reporters after their aerial tour of flooded regions.
UNITED States Ambassador David Jacobson said he saw flooding of "biblical proportions" during an aerial tour of the swollen Red River with Premier Greg Selinger Wednesday afternoon.
Jacobson said the Red River near Morris looks like one of the Great Lakes.
Flood Fight
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The latest news about flooding in southern Manitoba this spring.
"My heart goes out to people who are impacted by this," he said. "It is tragic, but I have seen several instances of just perseverance and bravery, and it's just great to see."
Jacobson drove north to Manitoba from Devils Lake, N.D., to see first-hand what the flood situation looks like.
He said there is similar flooding in parts of North Dakota, including in Devils Lake, where hundreds of homes have been lost along with tens of thousands of acres of farmland.
Jacobson said flood protection is an issue in North Dakota, but would not comment on whether the state is considering building a floodway similar to Manitoba's.
"I know this is an issue in North Dakota, and I'm not going to speak for them, but it is true that the floodway here has spared Winnipeg from the worst of the flooding," Jacobson said.
Selinger said the investments in flood protection and the floodway here have paid off, noting the channel has diverted a lot of water to protect homes in Winnipeg. He said the Red River looks like an enormous lake across parts of southern Manitoba and portions of Highway 75 have been compromised due to the rising flood water.
"It's a particularly swollen Red River, especially around Morris," Selinger said.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 28, 2011 A3
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