Rivers cresting in Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/05/2011 (5573 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – The Assiniboine and Red rivers are cresting in Winnipeg, but the floodway and other protection measures are keeping the city high and dry.

The crest on the Red at James Avenue reached 19.56 feet — down from the 20.79-foot ice-induced crest on April 7.

Flows at James Avenue Wednesday morning reached 58,600 cubic feet per second.

“The current flow at James Avenue would be enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool every two seconds,” senior flood fighter Steve Topping told a news conference.

Outside the city, flooding caused a lift station to be overwhelmed in the town of Eriksdale, causing some flooding underneath the Eriksdale Hospital and personal care home, the library and one home. The water has been pumped out and damage is being assessed. The hospital and library remain open.

Water levels increased significantly Tuesday on streams in the Dauphin Lake Basin, with the Valley River rising more than three feet. It’s anticipated that Dauphin Lake will be near flood stage over the next few days.

The province has also issued a high water advisory for all other major lakes in Manitoba. Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin are forecast “to reach unprecedented high water levels” since they were regulated in 1961.

“Water Stewardship will be monitoring weather conditions closely and will provide warnings to notify of strong winds which could cause significant wind set-up and wave action,” the province said in its flood bulletin.