Flooding prompts local state of emergency in Neepawa on Wednesday

Flooding in Neepawa is pictured on July 2, 2020. (CTV News Photo Ken Gabel)

WINNIPEG — The Town of Neepawa has declared a local state of emergency due to flooding in the region.

The state of emergency, which came into effect at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, is isolated to the northeast and southeast areas of the community. The town said in a post on its Facebook page that the reason for the isolation is “to access emergency services, and utilize all means necessary to save structures and infrastructure.”

Those who have been evacuated from their home must report to the Yellowhead Hall, even if they have a place to stay. The town said this is to ensure they have a count of homes and residents to ensure everybody is safe.

The Town of Swan River assisted Neepawa on Wednesday, providing 14,000 sandbags for flood control, according to a post on Neepawa's Facebook page.

Neepawa was hit by the heavy rain that has impacted southwestern Manitoba since June 28. The town posted photos on its Facebook page of the Lions Riverbend Campground, which was flooded earlier in the week.

Neepawa isn't the only community experiencing flooding this week. On Wednesday night, the province recommended an evacuation of people and livestock from about 30 to 40 properties in Rivers, Man. over concerns with the Rivers Dam.

The City of Brandon was hit with heavy rainfall on Sunday, which caused road closures and overland flooding throughout the city. The city was preparing for additional flooding this week due to thunderstorms in the forecast. Out of an abundance of caution, the City of Brandon said it has issued evacuation preparation notices to several hundred homes in the area.

On Tuesday, 84 residents of Minnedosa were evacuated from their homes because of flooding. The town received 48.1 millimetres of rain on Tuesday, according to Environment Canada.

On Wednesday, several highways were closed due to overland flooding. These include:

The province issued a flood warning and high water advisory on Tuesday for western and southwestern Manitoba.

-With files from CTV’s Mason DePatie