24 more people in Westman area leave homes due to potential flood risk: Manitoba Infrastructure

Two dozen more people have left their homes nearthe Westman area due to flood risks, the province said in a news release Friday.

Water levels in nearby rivers have risen significantly due to large amounts of rain that hit last weekend. To make matters worse, thunderstorms and up to 100 millimetres of rain are in the forecast for the areaover the next five to seven days, the province said.

Four peoplefrom the rural municipality of Cornwallis, 17 people from the rural municipalityof Whitehead and three people from the town of Neepawahave left their homes, according to the province.

That is addition to the 80 people from the Riverdale municipality who left their properties and moved their livestock on Thursday, because Manitoba Infrastructure lost confidence that the Rivers Dam could continue holding back water fromLake Wahtopanah, which is fed by the Little Saskatchewan River.

At noon Wednesday, flows over the Rivers Dam were measured at 12,000 cubic feet per second, but that has since decreased to 8,500 cubic feet per second, the province said Friday.

The water level on Lake Wahtopanah has declined 1.5 feet in the last 24 hours, and is still declining, the province said,but levels are"still at historically high levels."

In a notice sent out Friday afternoon, the mayor and council of Riverdale said they've been told by the province that the dam remains "at a high level of risk," andthe evacuation order will remain in effect for a minimum of four to five days.

The Rivers Dam is being monitored around the clock until the water recedes, and minor repairs are being made as needed, the province said.

Property owners are advised to take precautions as water levels could rise significantly in a short time in these areas. Unless travel is necessary, the province requests that individuals stay away from affected areas.

A flood warning remains in place for the Little Saskatchewan River and Whitemud River watersheds, as bothare above flood stage, and low-lying areasnear the rivers "are affected," the province said.

High water levels on the Whitemud River have impacted areasnear Arden and Gladstone, small communities just east of Neepawa.

Water levels near most communities along the Whitemud River have begun declining, with the exception of Westbourne, which lies on the river and less than 100 kilometres south of Lake Manitoba.

The Whitemud River is expected to peak there withinthe next 24 to 48 hours and water is expected to stay within the banks, the province said.

The flood warning for the Assiniboine River, from Brandon to Portage la Prairie, is also still in place, although the City of Brandon says it has received word that the river's peak has likely passed.

Members of Brandon's emergency response team will remain vigilant of potential flash flooding, in case the Rivers Dam should fail, the city said in a news release.

"Provincial projections have placed worst-case peak levels in Brandon should the Rivers Dam fail at levels similar to those seen during the spring flood of 2011," the city said.

"This is a level that the City of Brandon's dike system can handle; however, contingency plans remain in place should low-lying areas along the Assiniboine River in Brandon need to evacuate."