Cleanup continues in Ochre Beach after wall of ice hits homes; wind alerts in effect for lake areas

Residents are still left reeling from a wall of ice that slammed into homes and cottages in the Ochre Beach area, east of Dauphin, on Friday night. Some residents were sitting down to eat or watching television when the ice suddently hit.

A total of 27 properties were damaged, with 13 of those beyond repair.

"Work is continuing to clear ice away from structures. More severely damaged properties will need to be secured and assessments conducted," said the province in a statement Monday.

Strong winds were blamed for pushing the huge ice wall off the lake and onto land.

Premier Greg Selinger visited the area Monday morning.

“You can see the total amount of destruction and we’re very fortunate there was no loss of life. And so these people have really had a shocking experience, homeowners and cottagers. It’s the kind of destruction you see maybe once in a lifetime in an area like this,” said Selinger.

Resident Ron Low said some people were just sitting down to eat dinner when the ice hit.

“All of a sudden there was a huge gust of wind and I guess everything started rolling and next thing you know it started coming through their window and into the dining room,” said Low.

Miles Haverluck had his home damaged by the ice. A cottage he also owns next door was destroyed as well.

“There’s nothing you can do. I think everybody was kind of more in shock,” he said.

The province said financial compensation is on the way for seven affected homeowners, but for those whose cottages were left in ruins, there may not be any compensation coming.

“Cottagers (are) a different situation and any changes – we’ll only be able to determine after we assess the damages and identify what future options there are,” said Selinger.

This is the second time in three years people here have been forced to clean up, following on the heels of the 2011 flood. Some people had just finished rebuilding when the ice hit on May 10.

“It kind of gets to the point where you throw your hands up in the air and say, ‘Have you had enough?’ And I think there’s a lot of people around here feeling the same thing,” said Ron Low.

While the cleanup is underway for some people, others are unsure what they’ll do if there is no financial help on the way.

A disaster financial assistance meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Property owners are expected to learn more about what, if any, compensation they'll be entitled to May 14 morning.

People in the area extended thanks Monday to local businesses who brought down food and beverages and to strangers who volunteered their time to help clean up. Two RCMP officers also drove down to help retrieve personal belongings from damaged properties that were too dangerous to enter.

Wind alerts for lake areas

Monday afternoon, the province issued a lake ice wind alert.

"Ice is beginning to break up and melt on most of Manitoba's large lakes. High winds can move broken or weakened ice around the lake, creating a risk of ice pileup on windward shores," said the province. "Residents are reminded to remain alert to weather conditions and to monitor news media for warnings."

The province said moderate southeast winds were expected for Monday afternoon, with a "low risk of shoreline ice pileup on the windward shores of major lakes including lakes Winnipeg, St. Martin, Manitoba and Winnipegosis, and Dauphin Lake."

On Tuesday, winds are expected to shift to the northwest, "creating a high risk of shoreline ice pileup on the windward shore of Lake Manitoba," said the province.

Officials said there is a "moderate-high risk" of ice piling up on windward shores of Lake Winnipeg and Dauphin Lake for Tuesday. For windward shoes of lakes St. Martin and Winnipegosis, there is a moderate risk of shoreline ice pileup on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the province, the Red River is declining in most spots.

Levels are also declining along the Assiniboine River, said the province.

More flood information is available on the province's website or by calling 1-866-626-4862.

- with reports from Caroline Barghout and Jeff Keele