Flood Conditions

[polly7]

Hi, just wondering how Canadian Du'ers are making out with flood conditions this year. I've never seen anything like the amount of water we have. So many small communities declaring a state of emergency, and now evacuating areas of even smaller cities. The ground is so saturated from last year we can't keep up with the rain, there's nowhere for it to go. The dams are full, so many roads closed ... this is getting scarey. My nephew can't get into his yard to look after his cattle, they had to leave their farm two days ago. I never thought we'd see it this bad in SE Sask, normally we're kicking up dust about now. Anyway ... just curious to hear how the spring has been for others so far.

http://www.estevanmercury.ca/section/estmercury

http://www.weyburnreview.com/

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Water+levels+rise+Souris+River+near+Estevan+Roche+Percee/4977087/story.html

http://www.brandonsun.com/

[mahigan]

1. It's bad all over Manitoba and Saskatchewan

There are a record 1.5 million acres in MB that will not be seeded this year. Many areas are still flooded and Lake Manitoba will stay over its banks until freeze up. Hundreds of homes and cottages have been damaged/destroyed and all that water in the Souris will eventually reach Manitoba flowing into the still high Assiniboine River with some of it probably diverted into Lake Manitoba.

The floods are also causing serious economic hardship - and not just to farmers. Even in my area where crops were seeded, those crops are only a few inches high. The first cut of hay is ready but it won't stop raining long enough to harvest it and feed is going to be a major problem this year even with good hay crops on the land that isn't flooded.

Outside of agriculture, the weather is causing huge losses. Landscapers have quit planting trees in some areas because the water table is only 4" down. Tourism is taking a hit already and all businesses dependent on the farm sector are also getting hammered. I have seen estimates as high as $2 billion dollars lost to the prairie economy this year because of the weather. Spring flooding is common in many parts of the prairies but not at this time of year and the rain keeps coming.

[polly7]

2. Yes, it really is bad.

Many of my friends weren't able to seed much of their land either, what they did get in is drowning. Neighbours couldn't get their feed-lots cleaned because the big equipment kept getting stuck, so cattle are being turned out all over the place. I feel so bad for everyone this is affecting.

[polly7]

3. A bit of video from two days ago, Roche Percee was evacuated today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML9peGrPqUk&feature=player_embedded#at=43

Communities all along the Souris river and its tributaries are in bad trouble.

http://www.estevanmercury.ca/

[polly7]

4. A few pictures from Roche Percee.

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Southern+Sask+village+under+water/4995290/story.html?cid=hot_photo