The Rural Municipality of Stuartburn has declared a state of local emergency after being hammered by torrential rains.
The municipality, located along the Manitoba-Minnesota border, is in a region that received up to 155 millimetres of rain over the past few days, according to the province.
Forecasts are calling for the rural municipality, which includes the communities of Vita, Sundown and Caliendo, to see more precipitation overnight and into mid-week.
The RM of Piney has also declared a state of local emergency due to the conditions.
Stuartburn Reeve David Kiansky told 680 CJOB some people might need to be evacuated, depending on how bad it gets, which would be a first in his experience.
“We had four houses go underwater — there was another one that’s now underwater, and we need to get an emergency boat there… but the current is so strong, we don’t know how we’re going to do that.
“It’s basically a total disaster right now. It’s one big lake.
“All the grain and whatever the (local farmers) planted last week, and were hoping for a cash crop, is now finished,” Kiansky said.
READ MORE: Southeastern Manitoba soaked by weekend thunderstorms
Kiansky said the community is trying to protect the roads as some have already washed out — something that hasn’t happened since the flood of the century over two decades ago.
“We haven’t seen that since 1997. That’s the last time water flowed overtop (of the roads),” he said.
“It’s a real big event, and it caught us off guard completely, and within a few hours, we’re in a disaster situation.”
The town of Vita was inundated with more than 60 mm of rain on Sunday alone, and more precipitation is in the forecast overnight.
“The calves, they could get pneumonia. We can’t get there, so we’re just going to have to wait until the water goes down and then we’ll check it out.”
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