Heavy rains on Tuesday morning caused road closures and flooding in at least one Manitoba community.
The town of Blumenort was also affected by the rain. Amber Neufeld said the rain started at 7 a.m. and didn’t stop.
“It looks like a beach here,” Neufeld said of the waves that crashed into her driveway on Tuesday.
Because of the flooding, emergency crews have closed Rockridge Drive in the city. Neufeld said firefighters had to help rescue a vehicle that was stuck in the flooded street.
Flooding in the streets of Blumenort, Manitoba, on September 17, 2024. (Amber Neufeld)
“I have never experienced such heavy rain,” she said.
Neufeld had to move her car into the garage because of the rain, but was lucky that her house didn’t flood. Others on the street weren’t so lucky.
“A guy down the street got a squeegee from the fire department because his basement flooded,” she said. “Two doors down, the garage flooded.”
Stephen Berg, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said southern Manitoba has seen heavy rain over the past 36 hours. He said 167 millimetres of rain fell in Ste. Pierre-Jolys, while Steinbach reported 156 mm, Elma 138 mm and Winkler 133 mm. Over the past two days, the Ste. Anne region has seen 210 mm of rain.
Berg urged drivers to be careful when driving on flooded roads.
“If you have to go somewhere, it’s best to avoid flooded roads because the roads are very slippery and there is a risk of aquaplaning, which is quite dangerous for driving,” he said.
Berg said some showers are forecast for later in the week, but they are unlikely to be as severe as Tuesday’s events.
Jim Funk, pastor of the RM of Hanover, noted that several parishes, including Kleefeld and Mitchell, were hit by rain and several basements were flooded.
“No matter what you do, you can’t prepare for that much rain in that short period of time,” he said.
Funk said the RM is assisting homeowners by helping them pump water from the streets and out of homes and providing sandbags for those who wish to use them.
Flooding in the streets of Blumenort, Manitoba, on September 17, 2024. (Amber Neufeld)
