City warns 41 at-risk homeowners to start building dikes; Red expected to peak next week

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/04/2020 (1481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At least 41 Winnipeg properties will require dikes to protect them from flooding this spring, with the Red River soon reaching its peak.

The city expects the river to reach its highest spring level sometime next week, between Sunday and April 17, at up to 19.5 feet above normal winter ice level at James Avenue.

Another 16 properties could also require dikes before the flood risk ends, city officials say.

Jason Shaw, Winnipeg’s assistant chief of emergency management, said affected homeowners should prepare to find more volunteers and allot more time to building flood barriers than normal, since they’ll also be expected to ensure social-distancing practices are in place to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

“That could increase the amount of volunteers and that could increase some of the amount of time that’s required.… Some (properties are) going to be challenging to (achieve) social distancing,” said Shaw.

The Red River had risen to 15.4 feet at James Avenue by Monday evening.

Local property owners are responsible for building their own sandbag dikes, though Shaw said city staff could help out with sandbagging in some cases. For example, that assistance could be provided if the pandemic risk makes it too difficult for homeowners to find volunteers, he said.

“We’re there to back up our residents and help them out, if required,” he said.

Winnipeggers who are instructed by the city to build dikes will receive sandbag deliveries.

And residents concerned about overland flooding can now pick up sandbags themselves at three locations between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily: 1220 Pacific Ave., 1539 Waverley St., and 960 Thomas Ave.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga