Overland flood watch issued for southwestern Manitoba starting Wednesday

CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 5:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Residents successful southwestern Manitoba are being warned to brace for overland flooding, arsenic dense rainfall is expected to deed the country betwixt Wednesday and Friday.

The state issued an overland flood watch Wednesday day for areas southbound of the Trans-Canada Highway on the Virden to Brandon corridor, and westbound of Highway 10, including Souris, Melita and Boissevain. 

Forecasters with Manitoba's Hydrologic Forecast Centre said a precipitation strategy could bring much than 80 millimetres of rainfall to these areas implicit the adjacent fewer days. Heavy rainfall implicit a abbreviated play could origin precocious aboveground runoff, starring to overland flooding, the state said successful a quality release. 

However, the nonstop determination and magnitude of rainfall is inactive uncertain, the state warned. 

Areas successful southern, cardinal and bluish Manitoba could besides spot betwixt 20 to 70 millimetres of rainfall earlier the upwind clears up connected Friday night. 

Provincial officials are asking Manitobans to enactment distant from waterways, including creeks, streams, rivers and the Red River Floodway, portion the flood ticker is successful effect. 

Members of the nationalist should besides debar areas wherever flood-response crews are working, including flooded areas, dams and diversions. 

Strong winds are besides expected to commencement connected Thursday afternoon, lasting until Friday evening. North winds could scope up to 80 km/h, which whitethorn make waves that could hike up h2o levels by 5 feet oregon more. 

The flood ticker comes arsenic 2 twelve wildfires pain crossed parts of the province, which occurrence officials accidental person been caused by hot, adust upwind and beardown winds. 

Kristin Hayward, adjunct lawman curate for the Conservation Officer Service and Manitoba Wildfire Service, said a fewer days of rainfall could assistance firefighting efforts, but the magnitude forecast may not beryllium capable to quell fires successful southeastern Manitoba, adjacent Lac du Bonnet and Nopiming Provincial Park. 

"We are not seeing the forecasted amounts anyplace wherever we'd request them to beryllium to extinguish the fires oregon marque immoderate appreciable quality successful what those fires are doing," she said Wednesday.