Winnipeg, MB – On May 2, 2022 the Province of Manitoba issued its Water Information and Flood Conditions forecast. Based on the latest provincial forecast and data, the City of Winnipeg has revised its flood planning and has identified a total of 27 private properties at risk of river flooding.
Water levels within Winnipeg are expected to range between 19 and 20.4 feet James Avenue between May 5 an May 14. The Red River peak is anticipated to arrive at the Floodway inlet between May 11 and May 14. The Province is operating both the Red River Floodway and the Portage Diversion to manage water levels within the city, which are expected to remain high for a few weeks.
Of the 27 properties identified as being at-risk of river flooding:
- Seventeen (17) are being advised to build their dike by Friday, May 6; of these, 13 properties had previously been identified as being at-risk in March
- Ten (10) are being advised to be prepared to build their dike as required; these are all newly identified at-risk properties
At this time, 3 properties located along the Assiniboine River identified in March are no longer considered at-risk.
The number of sandbags required is estimated at approximately 29,000. The clay dike at Turnbull Drive is also being raised.
The City is hand-delivering notices to the affected property owners and will be surveying each of the identified properties to determine the location of potential dikes. We will provide further instructions directly to property owners who may, at some point, be required to build a dike. If a property owner has not heard from the City and believes their property is at risk of river flooding, they can contact 311.
The City is not putting out a call for volunteers to assist property owners with sandbagging efforts at this time.
As of 8:42 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 the river level at the James Avenue gauge was 18.16 feet. River levels are available online at City of Winnipeg – Current river levels and updated in real time every 10 minutes.
The City will continue to work closely with the Province of Manitoba to determine whether additional properties may require dikes to protect against river flooding.
Residents are encouraged to follow the City on Facebook and Twitter (#wpgflood) for flood updates.