After a week of warm temperatures in Regina, Mother Nature decided it was time for a little water Monday evening.
After rain hit the streets throughout the evening, many Regina roads have been flooded.
In the last 24 hours, different areas in Regina have seen anywhere from 40-100 millimetres of rain.
“This season feels different than the last couple seasons because it’s not a drought season,” said Terri Lang, an Environment Canada meteorologist.
“We didn’t see as much activity with respect to severe weather… because we did see some precipitation in the winter and then in the spring, there’s quite a bit of moisture laying around and that moisture is being used by the atmosphere.”
As with many flooding events in Regina, it is often due to a large amount of water in a short amount of time.
“The city of Regina is relatively flat, so our underground system is designed to handle small storms and the roads are actually designed to handle the large storms,” said Kurtis Doney, the director of Water, Waste & Environment for the City of Regina.
“These large storms do put all of our public infrastructure at risk and that’s why we make the decision to sometimes discharge the wastewater to protect the assets.”
Doney said as of 1 p.m., the city had received between 100 and 125 calls related to downed trees, flooded basements, sewer backups and flooding.
He said moving forward, there are a number of steps residents can take to help the flow of water during a storm and stay safe.
“What’s most important is to ensure your downspouts are away from your home about six feet when possible,” Doney explained. “Ensure your sump pump is working … your eavestroughs are flowing and do not enter any large bodies of water you can’t see the bottom of.”
More than 22,000 storm drains are in Regina, and crews are working on clearing them. In the meantime, the city is urging residents to clear their own storm drains outside their home.
The City of Regina has reported a number of closures and statements when it comes to flooded streets as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
- Ring Road at Ross Avenue is closed
- Northbound Ring Road closed from Victoria Avenue – Northbound traffic will be detoured to exit onto Victoria Avenue
- Southbound Ring Road closed from McDonald Street – Southbound traffic will be detoured to exit at McDonald Street
- Dewdney Avenue & Winnipeg Street underpass is closed
- Victoria Avenue service road underpass is closed
As well, the rain has also impacted transit services while buses are forced to take alternate routes. People are advised to check transitlive.com for updates on services.
The city reminds families that storm channels are full and to keep pets and kids away from the water.