Manitoba gears up for next round of rain

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This article was published 28/04/2022 (1276 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Roughly 500 calls for flooded basements swamped a Winnipeg plumbing company after last weekend’s storm. The Colorado low estimated to bring up to 40 millimetres of rain to parts of Manitoba this weekend may spark yet another boom in business.

Barrett Ferguson, owner of Pleasant Plumber Inc., said he was taking rapid-fire calls from potential customers city-wide during the recent deluge.

“There’s no way to keep up with 500 calls on a weekend, so you’re telling a lot of people, ‘Unfortunately, I can’t come out there right now,’” Ferguson said. “We try to assist people over the phone with tips.”

It wasn’t until Thursday his crews caught up with the backlog.

Ferguson said the culprit for basement flooding is usually one of three things: a failed floor drain, sanitary sewer backup, or sump pump failure — and many of last weekend’s calls were for broken pumps.

Forecasters are encouraging property owners to have their sump pumps in working order ahead of yet another looming low-pressure system.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a rainfall warning for southeastern and south-central Manitoba. A special weather statement remains in effect for all of the south.

Although this system is estimated to be weaker than other recent storms, it could still be impactful as precipitation adds to existing water in the Red River Basin, Environment Canada meteorologist Sara Hoffman, said.

Hoffman described the system as “very large” and “slow moving.”

Winnipeg and the Red River Valley can expect rain, whereas the west — including Brandon and Dauphin — can expect heavy, wet snow mixed with rain.

The southernmost parts of Manitoba can expect rain beginning Friday night, and Winnipeg will see rain by 7 a.m. Saturday, Hoffman said.

Anywhere from 10 to 20 mm of rain is expected to fall across southern Manitoba near the international border. Precipitation will be heavier in the central Red River Valley (some 20 to 40 mm of rain). However, it’s unlikely the system will produce thunderstorms, Hoffman said.

The wind gusts will cap at about 60 km/h Sunday.

On Thursday, the Rural Municipality of Montcalm declared a 30-day state of emergency.

“Inside the communities, everything is OK, because we’re all dike-protected — most of the farm areas are dike protected, also,” Reeve Paul Gilmore said, adding he’s most concerned about road closures, which could trigger evacuations.

Some 16 homes along St. Mary’s Road in Montcalm may need to be evacuated.

St. Jean Baptiste had its ring dike closed at the east side of town; pumping operations are underway, Gilmore said.

“Last weekend’s storm was a wake-up call for us,” the reeve said. “Our public works department has been working basically 24 hours (a day) to maintain the sewer system in the communities. It’s been hard on our staff, and they are greatly appreciated, that’s for sure.”

States of emergency are also in place for the RMs of Cartier, Headingley, Morris and Ritchot, in response to overland flooding and other notable factors.

An overland flood warning is in place for parts of southern Manitoba, both north and south of Winnipeg.

Residents in Morris are stocking up on portable pumps in the meantime.

Jacques Bouchard, 35, owner of Morris Home Hardware, said he has sold more water pumping equipment so far this spring than all of last year. The store sold out of its first order; a second set of pumps was to arrive Thursday — and there’s a wait list.

“I’ve never ordered double before,” said Bouchard, who has run the store for five years.

“The majority of the people who are buying pumps are (using them) for yard flooding to stop the water from coming into their house,” he said. “Some of them are buying pumps as (a) backup, in case their pump fails.”

Morris will have the north mouth of its dike closed Friday to divide the town from the Red and Morris rivers. Highway 75 will be closed for a time as a result.

“Provincial crews are closely monitoring river levels at the town of Morris and are taking actions to keep PTH 75 open as long as possible on the north side of Morris,” a provincial flood report said Thursday.

The Manitoba hydrologic forecast centre extended its flood warning for the Assiniboine River to include areas from St. Lazare to Brandon.

In central Manitoba, flood warnings remain in effect for the Red River between Emerson and the floodway inlet, and the La Salle and Pembina rivers.

The Red River is expected to crest for the second time in Manitoba between May 3 to May 7.

Due to continued rainfall and snowmelt, a high-water advisory has been issued for the Whiteshell lakes.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca