It comes as the county activates the Red River Floodway to divert water from the rising Red around the town of Winnipeg. North of Winnipeg, communities remain on standby due to heavy ice in Red. So far the situation is under control in the RM of St. Clements on the east side of the Red River. However, the ice jam could cause flooding along Cooks Creek which flows into the Red North of Selkirk, according to the RM of St. Louis emergency coordinator. Clements, Tyler Freeman. “And that’s probably going to be our biggest concern until the ice really starts to move, but realistically there are probably seven or eight properties that we’re going through,” Freeman said. Freeman said RM is ready to help protect those homes from flooding if the creek recovers. “We’re worried, so we’re going to watch it all weekend,” Freeman said. “Communication with all our residents, especially those who are in these areas so that we have them ready in case anything happens.” The county said Friday that the Red River has peaked in St. Jean Emerson and is almost on a hill near Morris. While these areas remain under flood warning, the province expects only moderate flood risk in the Red this spring. However, the Environment and Climate Change Canada warns that a low in Colorado could bring significant rainfall to the Red River basin in the United States by the middle of next week, according to the Environment Canada system, which warns meteorologist Natal Hasell can throw more than 30 inches of snow on the already inflated Red River. “Not all of our models indicate huge amounts of rainfall, the trajectory of this low has not yet been determined,” Hasell said. “The middle track has most of the rainfall that hits North Dakota and Minnesota, so it finally comes to us.” This concerns municipal employees. “And with the snow and rain supposed to be coming next week, it could definitely change what is happening,” said the mayor of St. Louis. Clements, Debbie Fiebelkorn. On Friday at 9:45 a.m. the county activated the Red River Floodway to help manage the water level in Winnipeg by diverting water around the city. Despite ice congestion north of Selkirk and warnings of high humidity in a park along the river, Mayor Larry Johansson said the situation was under control and there were no major flood concerns in the community. “The ice and water are flowing incredibly and that’s really good news for us,” Johannson said. “The waterfront here is protected and is still dry. “Our Selkirk Park is protected and dry, so we are in great shape here.” Although Selkirk is not at risk of flooding, Johannson said he is concerned about people living downstream near Netley Creek because of the risk of flooding from ice jam. The county said flood forecasters will continue to monitor next week’s rainfall system and its impact on flows and levels as the system develops.
