Dikes hold as river crests in Souris

Theriverlevel in Souris, Man., is doing something it has not done in weeks going down.

Residents and flood officials in the town of about 1,700 people southwest of Brandon are breathing easier after the crest of theswollen and surging Souris River passed through overnight.

Their hard work to protect the town by buildingdikes to heights never seen before along that riverappears to havepaid off.

Thecrest was about a metre lower than originally forecast. Flood officials downgraded the forecast on Tuesday, citing minimal rain in the Souris River basin and warm weather in recent days.

This is the third crest the flood-weary town has experienced since April.

The water will likely stay high for days to come as the river slowly subsides,so the dikes will be closely monitored to ensure they can hold up for the long term.

The Souris River which winds through Minot, N.D., south of the borderbefore turning north and entering Manitoba broke through that city's dikes last month and flooded more than 4,000 homes. A quarter of the city's population nearly12,000 people was forced from their homes.

Manitoba's Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton said he's optimistic Souris will escape this wave unharmed. The town is prepared to handle the flood water thanks to the "heroic efforts" of volunteers and the Canadian Forces, he said.

About 400 Canadian Forces reservists have spent the last few days frantically sandbagging in preparation for the crest and have since gone home.

"It's a real achievement that we've been able to see these dikes raised up," Ashton said. "It's now a question of watching it as it comes through and staying vigilant to protect those dikes."

This has been one of the worst years on record for flooding in Manitoba. Almost 3,000 people are still out of their homes as lakes and rivers continue to rise.

This year's flood is expected to cost at least$500 million.

The town of Wawanesa is next in line for the high water on the Souris River.

Mayor Bruce Gullett said dikes around the town are more than two metresabove the water level, which provides plenty ofroom for the crest.

With thepeak levels being lower than originally forecast in the town of Souris, Gullett isn't worried.

"There was that thought at some point, but then you lookat what happened in Minot, yeah, it looks like we were overprepared but better than not," he said.

"The only unknown, I guess, is if the high water level continues for a significant period of time or if we get some additional rain or something that will extend that out. Then I'm sure it will put them [dikes] to the test."

Gullett said two homes are most at risk but are well diked.

The crest is expected to reach Wawanesa, about 50 kilometres east of Souris,beforeFriday.