Saskatchewan flooding: 16 areas declaring state of emergency

Heavy rainfall over the weekend in southeast Saskatchewan has some communities struggling to keep up with the influx of water.

It'sled to dangerous travel conditions after some highways were submerged or washed out, and several states of emergency weredeclared.

The city of Melville called a state of emergency just before 9 a.m. CST after significant rainfall in the area.

Up to 15 other communities have also declared states of emergency.

Mayor Walt Streelasky tells CBC News the rain has compromised the city's sewer system.He is asking the people of Melville whose homes are flooding to pump water into the street so it reaches the storm drains instead of the sanitary sewage system.

All of the city's fire trucks and those from neighbouring communities are working to pump water, he said, addingone of the lift stations is sitting at about 45 cm and crews worked through the nightsandbagging to keep the area from flooding further.

The town of Carnduff and the RM of Mount Pleasant No. 2 have also declared a state of emergency, according to the town's website.

It asks people in the area to stay where they are if they are safe and avoid travel.

Stranded on the farm

Futher east, Denise Belisle phoned CBC from her farm near the Manitoba border saying water was rising around her home and she couldn't get to a road.Belisle's home is in the RM of Storthoaks, east of Redvers, Sask.

"Our home is surrounded by water, our yard is completely inundated, our farmyard is completely inundated. It's like a big lake and it's rushing across the road in four directions all around us," Belisle said.

She said Sunday morning the rain had been pouring and the wind had been howlingfor 24 hours, so she couldn't get to her livestock.

"We don't know where the cattle and the horses are, they're down south and the water is headed in that direction," she explained."So we can't get down to check on them until it stops raining and we can access them."

Belisle said her cousin had called RCMP on her behalf.

Highways submerged

Meanwhile, police and highway crews are reporting dangerous road conditions due to the influx of rainwater.

Highway officials saidthat eight Saskatchewan highways have been closed due to rain and flooding.

Officers said nobody has been hurt but many vehicles became stuck trying to pass water-logged roads.

Highway 13 was washed out Sunday morning west of Redvers. RCMP said the same highway had portions under water east of Redvers as well.Highway 8 south of Redvers is under water.

MoosominRCMP and highways employees decided to close Highway 8 from Moosominnorth to Spy Hill, Sask., saying severe flooding crossing the highway and gravel roads has led to debris pile-ups making road travelparticularly dangerous.

See photos of the flooding from across the province. Replaythe Saskatoon Morning live chat below.

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