Brandon seeks flood aid

The City of Brandon plans to ask the provincial government for disaster financial assistance in connection with heavy rain in June.

Provincial disaster financial assistance could allow the city to recuperate costs associated with flooding and mitigation measures. It could also help recuperate costs for residents who are affected by the flooding.

The city on Tuesday said the program can assist eligible homeowners, tenants and individuals with certain uninsurable damage from the heavy rain and recovery costs, but it does not replace all losses.

Residents are encouraged to document losses, retain receipts, take photographs of damaged property, and review their insurance coverage, the city said in a news release.

Residents should also contact their insurance provider to determine what coverage is available to them.

Premier Wab Kinew has announced that $5 million will be made available to municipalities through the DFA program.

The City of Brandon in a council report for the DFA program pointed to a storm system that dumped 80.9 mm on June 29.

Brandon has also been under a flood warning since June 10.

The city declared a state of emergency on Saturday after creating a temporary dike on Grand Valley Road one day earlier, to ward off the swollen Assiniboine River. Pumps around Kirkcaldy Drive are helping to prevent flooding.

Water levels on the Assiniboine River have been high for several months, with flood warnings along the river spanning from the Shellmouth Dam north of Russell to Brandon.

City emergency co-ordinator Tobin Praznik said the water levels in Brandon will rise rapidly on July 9 and peak days later, following heavy rain upstream on the Assiniboine.

He said as of Monday, the water level will be higher than the river banks until Aug. 2, but that would change if there’s additional rainfall.

“We’re going to continue to monitor. At the end of the day, what we see today could be different again tomorrow and could be different before the floodwaters do come,” Praznik said.

He said the city isn’t immune to flooding, but that “our infrastructure is solid” and there are steps in place to mitigate risks.

“Whatever comes our way, we’ll take the necessary steps. It’s really all hands on deck right now,” he said.

Kyle Winters, the city’s director of engineering, said staff are working to fill sandbags.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett warned residents to stay away from the river, dike and construction equipment.

After the meeting, Fawcett said the city is trying to be ahead of everything.

“The fortunate thing is we have some really good infrastructure in place, we’re enhancing with the information that we have, and we’re doing all our due diligence, trying to control everything we can control,” Fawcett said.

“It’s going to come down to one of the things we can’t control, weather being a big piece, but the team has been doing a really good job in preparation.”