Aerial footage sent to Global News shows dramatic overland flooding across parts of southern Manitoba.
The video was sent by the RM of Montcalm, which says it demonstrates the flood situation around the Red River and the town of St. Jean Baptiste.
“It’s the same situation every flood year in that specific area for us,” says Reeve Paul Gilmore.
“It’s nothing new for us.”
Gilmore says the Roseau and Red Rivers converge in the area, regularly breaking their banks, washing out nearby roads, leaving behind debris, and delaying seeding for farmers.
“It’s a huge job for them to clean that up, but they’ll get in there and do the seeding if the weather holds out,” Gilmore says.
“I think the worst impact for us is the damage to the infrastructure.”
Gilmore says the municipality has been lobbying the government for a number of years to find a permanent fix for the flooding, which damages the same roads each year.
“Rather than spend money every year fixing that road, why not do a permanent fix?” Gilmore says.
“The problem is it would be an expensive proposition. It’s not just the Red River we’re talking about, it’s the conversion of the two rivers that come to that road, and they just force their way through the road.”
The rural municipality declared a state of emergency earlier this month as the extent of this year’s flooding became apparent.
Gilmore says six families were evacuated since although their properties are protected by ring dikes, they would have been trapped by the rising water.
The province announced Tuesday the crest coming up from the United States had arrived at Emerson and was lower than expected.
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