Protective dikes in Brandon are being raised another two feet today in preparation for heavy rains expected in the next two to three days.
In Brandon, PTH 110 is being protected by large flood-barrier tubes put in place yesterday. The road is open but down to one lane and is flagged and marked.
Dikes are being raised at 18th Street to add a third super-sandbag layer. Dikes are being closely monitored on First Street, which may need to be closed later today as a safety precaution. Pumps are also running at both locations.
Provincial sandbags are being delivered to Brandon to support flood-fighting efforts.
Water levels on the Assiniboine River at the First Street Bridge in Brandon are 1,182.17 ft., an increase of 1.18 ft. since yesterday. Flows at the First Street Bridge were 35,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) this morning.
Flows in the Portage Diversion channel this morning were at 20,000 cfs. Inflow upstream of Portage la Prairie is 38,000 cfs. Flows on the Assiniboine River at the bascule gates were 18,000 cfs this morning.
Crews are running into difficulty working in and around Brandon due to the large number of people coming to see the high water. Residents are encouraged to stay well back and away from dikes and other flood-fighting efforts for their own safety and the safety of the crews.
Other areas
Cottage owners on Red Deer Lake are encouraged to sandbag as rising lake levels may threaten some cottages.
A berm is being constructed in the RM of Grahamdale at St. Martin to protect 15 at-risk homes from rising water levels on Lake Pineimuta.
A volunteer effort co-ordinated by the RM of St. François Xavier resulted in 320 volunteers raising sandbag dikes two feet above the waterline around 40 of 60 homes. The remaining 20 are expected to be completed today.
There are 1,155 people evacuated from their homes, largely due to loss of safe road access.
Flood Forecast
The flood forecast is being reassessed today based on the increased flows resulting from the storm last weekend and the forecast rainfall over the next few days. A flood report will be issued later today.
For more information, see www.manitoba.ca/flooding. The most up-to-date highway information is at www.gov.mb.ca/mit/roadinfo or 1-877-MBRoads (1-877-627-6237) and on Twitter by following @MBGov.
