Peguis First Nation starts flood evacuation

Peguis First Nation said high-priority residents had been identified for immediate evacuation owing to the flood risk from the Fisher River as the spring melt intensified Monday.

People with disabilities, complex medical needs and pregnant women near their delivery date were being targeted for evacuation, said Doug Thomas, director of communications at Peguis.

A post on the First Nation’s official Facebook page noted that sandbagging efforts were winding down as of Monday evening. Peguis had been given more than 500,000 sandbags and 11,000 super sandbags to protect homes in the community in the Interlake, 180 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

The community remains under a state of emergency, and while flood mitigation efforts are ongoing, some who have lived through flooding in the past said they’re ready for anything.

“We’re holding up all right. There’s lots of machinery around us because they’re building a dike behind my house,” said Jean Spence, 75, who has lived on the First Nation for 60 years.

“There’s lots of sandbaggers, all kinds of machinery (and) big trucks,” she said, calling the effort “awesome.”

She doesn’t know if the dike being constructed will protect her property from the rising river, but stressed she’s cleared out her basement just in case.

“We’re planning to stay put for as long as we can,” she said.

She’s not concerned about whether she and her husband will have to evacuate.

“It’s nothing,” she said with a laugh. “We did it before.”

Michelle McCorrister, a member of the nursing staff at the Peguis Senior Centre, said residents have been notified about the potential for evacuation and arrangements are being made “just in case.”

The Fisher River Cree Nation, 20 kilometres northeast of Peguis, is also under a state of emergency.

Jerry Marcyniuk, whose house is surrounded by sandbags, has lived in the neighbouring community of Dallas Red Rose for 79 years.

On Monday, he said emergency volunteers have been doing a good job. The community was given more than 36,000 sandbags and in excess of 1,000 super sandbags.

“They’re right on top of it,” he said.

Marcyniuk said he’s been through four floods. This year, he said it seems as though mitigation efforts started earlier, but there is still much melt to come.

“Lots of ice to come through yet and lots of snow around yet,” he said.

The lifelong resident says even though emergency efforts have started earlier, it’s important to plan ahead.

“It’s not necessarily every year that you’re going to get flooded out, but you have to be prepared,” he said.

Warmer weather this week is expected to speed up the spring melt, the Manitoba government said in a bulletin Monday.

Work continues to protect at-risk homes from the Fisher and Icelandic rivers, the update said.

Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre has predicted from 15 to 25 millimetres of rain-snow mix, beginning Wednesday evening.

Twenty to 60 mm of rain and snow are set to hit much of central and northern Manitoba.

Higher temperatures will melt snow and weaken river ice, creating further risk for ice jam-related flooding and overland flooding, especially in the Parkland region, the province said.

The Pas and surrounding areas are set to take the brunt of the weather system, where snowfall accumulations could exceed 40 centimetres.

The update said conditions could change rapidly depending on warmer temperatures and the speed of the melt.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca