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Storm slams Manitoba with power outages, flooding

WINNIPEG – A severe thunderstorm that walloped southern Manitoba on Tuesday night killed one man, flooded several communities and caused widespread power outages.

A Quebec man was killed at Falcon Beach when the storm knocked a tree onto his tent before 2 a.m., RCMP said.

Link: Storm kills man

The community of Reston, which declared a local state of emergency after a deluge Friday night, is again under water after more than 10 centimetres fell in three hours.

Link: Reston flooded again

There were power outages across Winnipeg starting at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, caused by trees and tree branches blown into hydro lines by wind, Manitoba Hydro said. Most customers had power back by morning, with only about 100 customers still in the dark in Fort Richmond at 6 a.m.

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Brandon, Virden and Reston had major power outages starting at around 7:30 p.m. Manitoba Hydro officials said they worked around the clock to restore power in those areas, focusing first on health-care facilities and personal care homes. Flooding was making efforts difficult, Manitoba Hydro said.

Lightning hit a home on Linden Avenue in Winnipeg’s East Kildonan neighbourhood just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, causing $100,000 damage. There were people in the home but they all got out safely.

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A weather statement issued by Environment Canada on Wednesday morning said the storm brought wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour.

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Environment Canada numbers show Reston got the most rain, but other communities also experienced heavy rainfall:

• Reston – 104 millimetres from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., 245 mm since Friday night

• Carberry – 84 mm from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Souris – 61 mm in one hour

• Virden – 55 mm to 65 mm

• Brandon – 37 mm, but 70 mm reported in some parts of the city, with some flash flooding.

• Winnipeg – 22 mm at The Forks; pea-sized hail and wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour.

The provincial government said the following roads were closed due to flooding:

• Highway 2 from Reston to Highway 256;

• Highway 83 south of Virden, 11 kilometres south of Highway 2;

• Highway 274 west of Dauphin, 13.2 kilometres south of the west junction of Highway 5, local traffic only; and

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• Highway 274 west of Dauphin, 15.8 kilometres south of the west junction of Highway 5, local traffic only.

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