Brandon floodwaters fall, Manitoba city remains on high alert

Waters are slowly receding on the Assiniboine River, but Brandon officials warn the fight against flooding isn't over.

Brandon floodwaters fall, Manitoba city remains on high alert Officials closely monitoring weather and flooding infrastructure Waters are slowly receding on the Assiniboine River, but Brandon officials warn the fight against flooding isn't over. The river is down to just under 1,178 feet as of Friday morning after cresting at more than 1,182 feet Sunday. Mayor Jeff Fawcett says while waters are continuing to recede, people still need to be cautious and watch for city and weather updates.

"It's going to stay high for a while," he said of the river, adding the weather has been unpredictable this summer. "We've had crazy rainfalls. We've had wild windstorms.

So, I would like to see the river recede as much as possible." Tobin Praznik, Brandon's emergency manager, says the city remains in a flooding response phase as high river levels and flows endure. He cautions that bad weather can change the situation quickly, pointing to a thunderstorm earlier this week that accumulated water quickly.

"We have to stay on alert because due to the levels and flows, significant rain could impact [the] flood forecast very quickly," Praznik said. For now, things are stabilizing, he said, praising the infrastructure that put the city in a good position to contain flooding. "The biggest thing is battling the rainfall inside the dike and the flood conditions on the outside of the dike," Praznik said.

"It’s a bit of a balance right now." As the water recedes, parts of the city affected by overland flooding are reopening. The city is in discussions with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure on reopening all lanes on First Street, Praznik said.

What's next for the city as waters retreat is cleanup and recovery, Fawcett says. There is now some access to the Riverbank Discovery Centre, the city's largest green space running along the Assiniboine. However, many paths near the river remain closed.

A side effect of the flooding is an anticipated mosquito population explosion from the standing water left by flooding. That means the city is looking at mosquito fogging for the first time in years, Fawcett said. Assiniboine River appears to have crested in Brandon, mayor says 'Controlling everything we can control,' Brandon mayor says ahead of expected flooding The city will be monitoring the skies and flood infrastructure so it can adapt as the situation changes.

"It's the unexpected that still concerns us. But as of right now, things have been working really well," Fawcett said. "Good weather would make a big, big difference."