Major Manitoba flooding highly unlikely this spring, province says

Good news on the flood front for Manitobans: the province says there’s been no major flooding, and none is expected this spring.

Hydrologic forecasting director Fisaha Unduche said at a press conference Friday afternoon that most rivers in the province have stayed within their banks — including the Red River south of Winnipeg, which crested this week.

Unduche said a number of areas have seen minor to moderate overland flooding, but most major rivers have already peaked and have begun to recede.

The floodway, he said, is expected to remain in use for a few more weeks, until the last week of May, and although there’s some rain in the forecast over the next couple of weeks, it isn’t expected to have a big impact.

“This is good news for us,” said infrastructure minister Doyle Piwniuk. “We’re always preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”

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