Winnipeg Red River Flood Watch – Wednesday April 15 – Update and photos

Red River Flood Watch – Update, April 15 – Latest photos …more

Winnipeg Red River Flood Watch – Wednesday April 15 – Update and photos

The latest news from EmergWeb is that the threat of flooding is not over, with the city responding to changing river conditions and shifting flood fighting efforts to the north and central areas of Winnipeg. New calls for volunteers (at least 500 needed) continue to be posted. In the local Winnipeg calling area – call 311 – to register to volunteer or visit the EmergWeb volunteer page
The need for volunteers today is urgent.

From the Province of Manitoba EMO –
A continued rapid melt is contributing to higher levels on Red River tributaries and resulting in further forecasted increases for some areas of the river. The 2009 flood will now surpass 1979 and 1950 levels in areas from St. Jean Baptiste to the floodway inlet. This makes 2009 the second-greatest flood since the floods of the 1800s. Levels for the 1997 flood were still about 0.6 metres (two feet) higher than crests expected this year. Many areas of Manitoba are also experiencing overland flash flooding caused by frozen, saturated soil and crests in many locations are lasting longer than usual. This combination of events has resulted in a serious flood situation that could last for several weeks.

Evacuations – A partial evacuation is underway from Peguis First Nation through the Manitoba Association of Native Fire Fighters (MANFF). MANFF has started an evacuation of 119 residents to Winnipeg this afternoon. An evacuation of the personal-care home in St. Adolphe will begin this evening as a precautionary measure. Approximately 40 residents will be moved to Winnipeg. The St. Adolphe Personal Care Home, the South Eastman Manitoba Regional Health Authority and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority are co-ordinating the placement of residents according to the level of care required and the location of family. Family members of residents are being contacted.

Disaster Assistance – An office is being set up in Selkirk to help residents who have been affected by the flooding. Visit the EMO website for more information

Webcam – Live view of Winnipeg Red River Floodway gates

Photos –

Visit Winnipeg Free Press on Flickr

[thumbnail source – Winnipeg Free Press on Flickr]

I’ll keep adding updates as they come in from all the feeds as well as mirror on the MissionLog, and post volunteer updates at project417.com. If you have links to photos or videos post them in the comments here. Thanks.

Winnipeg flood officials increase estimate of homes at risk

Red River Flood Watch: April 1, 2009

Winnipeg, Manitoba – Fargo, North Dakota

In North Dakota, the risk of flooding from the cresting Red River is not over, but flood fears have eased with the levels at 11.5 meters being below the permanent floodwall level.

However in Manitoba, in the midst of a severe spring snowstorm, the risk of flooding has been escalated by local officials. According to news reports [cbc.ca] the number of homes in Winnipeg at risk of flooding from the rising Red River has been increased from 80 to 140 homes, with residents being urged to add at least a foot of sandbag to existing floodwalls.

Winnipeg flood officials increase estimate of homes at risk

The threat posed by the spreading ice jams is severe, with at least four locations in the city limits identified as possible ice jam locations. North of Winnipeg, the current snowstorm is hampering flood protection efforts as ice jams increase and the areas subject to flooding as a result have been expanded. Selkirk is still under a declared state of emergency in expectation of extensive flooding due to the ice jams.

The river is now expected to crest on Sunday, April 6th.

Other online flood watch resources –

Winnipeg EmergWeb –
Winnipeg crews continue working to respond to rising river levels and prepare for possible ice jams.

Manitoba EMO – Emergency Measures organization –  The Salvation Army is providing meals and refreshments to people working on the flood-fighting efforts north of Winnipeg and in Winnipeg.

Canada News – Spring storm hindering flood protection efforts north of Winnipeg

CBC Manitoba Flood Watch – ice cutting machine plunges through river ice north of Winnipeg

Project417 coordinators will meet tomorrow with Salvation Army EDS manager to determine volunteer deployment possibility. More updates soon…

Flood Update: N.Dakota alerts eased, while Manitoba ice jams spark emergency status

Red River Flood Update – March 31,2009 – North Dakota – Manitoba

Colder weather and falling snow have actuallly eased flood conditions in much of North Dakota, with many Fargo area neighborhoods lifting evacuation orders Tuesday afternoon, March 31, 2009.

Flooding in North Dakota

However, the town of Selkirk, north-east of Winnipeg and at least one other town have declared emergency conditions due to increasing ice jams on the Red River. The ice jams themselves make it difficult to predict the possibility of flooding, but many neighborhoods are sandbagging, with some being told to evacuate by authorities.

The Winnipeg spillway – built in the 60’s to divert flood waters from the river, can not be opened to ease flood waters until the risk of ice jams abates. Any sheet ice, or jams entering the spillway risks more ice jams at bridge crossings and higher flood waters within Winnipeg itself.

Volunteer Update –

The CBC published today that there are increasing reports of volunteer and emergency personnel exhaustion in towns north of Winnipeg where the ice jams are widespread. There were appeals for food to fuel the small army of residents, volunteers and front-line workers primarily involved in sandbagging around properties threatened by the ice and rising waters.

Project417 has organized several volunteer teams in the past few years to respond to disaster scenes such as Hurricanes Katrina  in 2005, Ike last fall of 2008, and most recently two large evacuations in Toronto following apartment building explosions. Additionally,  as a community development coordinator  with Project417, I took part in Ontario’s Trillium emergency exercise last November in Thunder bay, along with more than 1,500 other emergency response personnel.

For first response situations, Project417 partners exclusively with the Salvation Army Emergency and Disaster Services (EDS), headquartered in Toronto. The process in preparing to respond involves staying updated on breaking news, and reporting availability to our EDS contact. As in the current crisis in Manitoba – local and then provincial resources are called in and assigned – with local emergency response personnel, often local fire departments, designated as local command and control centres and relay requests to the media for volunteers and materials that can be quickly deployed from surrounding areas. In addition, The Manitoba Emergency Management organization (EMO) is mobilized in declared states of emergency, and have in this case also requested the federal government to deploy and make ready on stand-by Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

If the local emergency or disaster situation escalates – as may be the case this week north of Winnipeg – those organizations may begin requesting assistance from neighbouring cities and provinces across Canada. Project417 has forwarded the CBC news reports of volunteers facing exhaustion to our EDS contact to ascertain whether mobilization should be escalated. Our role normally is helping man the mobile canteens, capable of serving hot meals, nutritious snacks, coffee, hot chocolate, juices, soft drinks and water – to as many as 1,500 or more per day per canteen. So right now we are ready and just waiting for the call. It would take at least 1 1/2 – 2 days to drive the vehicles out depending on road conditions. More updates will be posted here soon and  at project417.com.

North Dakota and Minnesota Red River - photo nasa.gov

More updates and sources –

Fargo Inforum – Evacuation orders lifted in some neighborhoods

Selkirk declares state of emergency

Manitoba communities plead for volunteers and food

CBC Manitoba Flood Watch 2009

Winnipeg Free Press Flood Watch

Winnipeg Free Press Breaking News

Update: Red River Flood Watch, North Dakota, Winnipeg Manitoba

Update, Monday March 30, 2009 – Flood Watch –

Volunteer Alerts

Volunteers fill sandbags - photo CBC.ca

North Dakota and Manitoba:

The flood watch in the Red River valley area on both sides of the U.S. Canada border continues today, but with a slight reprieve due to much colder temperatures. The sub-zero weather is slowing the runoff and freezing drainage that runs into the Red River and tributary systems and the flood crest is expected much later this week with many dikes and levees still intact. The work of residents, volunteers and thousands of National Guard and Canadian Armed Forces continues in the extra time that has resulted.

The flood watch in North Dakota has been replaced by a winter storm watch with a blizzard entering the region – which will only add to the snow and ice as melting conditions return and complicate the progress of ice jams up the river valley. Thousands still remain homeless due to flooding and evacuations ordered by authorities.

From the Winnipeg Free Press – “Ice jams aren’t just a problem for residents along the Red River. West of Winnipeg, an ice jam on a creek that flows into the Assiniboine River prompted the evacuation Sunday of 28 homes on the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. The evacuation of the community of 2,400 was a precautionary measure, and that no homes had been flooded. Residents of the First Nation 261 kilometres west of Winnipeg were taken to Virden”.

Latest Flood Watch Updates from the Red River Valley Area –

Flooding in Fargo eases but winter storm moves in

Volunteers exhausted in battle against flood

Volunteers shift sandbagging efforts north of Selkirk

Chilly Weather Stops Flood in Tracks – Winnipeg

Residents & Volunteers Step up flood fighting preparations

Watches, warning, advisories for North Dakota

Project417 is still on call for the volunteer requirements and will publish an update later this evening.

Flooding Update – North Dakota, Minnesota, Manitoba

Saturday Mar. 28th, 2009  Updates – Red River Flooding

Lockport Bridge, north of Winnipeg, by Amanda Medwid

We’re concerned about the possibilities of more evacuations for our neighbors in North Dakota and Minnesota and watching updates for the flood conditions in the Winnipeg, Manitoba areas of the Red River basin – hit by the worst flood levels in many years. Project417 is on alert to be notified of volunteer requirments by the Canadian Salvation Army Emergency and Disaster Services.

North Dakota and the Fargo area are the worst hit so far, but colder weather has slowed the river’s rise with cresting expected Sunday March 29th. It is the widespead ice jams on the Red River and many others including the Missouri River and other tributaries causing the worst flooding. Volunteers throughout the area are tirelessly sandbagging to fight the rising waters. President Barack Obama has officially declared the area a disaster zone. Review the following links for news updates.

North Dakota declared disaster zone amid flooding

Manitoba Rouseau River First Nation flood evacuation

North Dakota Braces for record flood waters

Cold temperature  slowing rise of Red River, North Dakota, Minnesota

Canadian Military on standby to battle Manitoba flooding

From the archives – Red River Rising: Manitoba Flood history

FLOOD liaison office – Manitoba red River valley:

200 Saulteaux Cres. in Winnipeg: 204-945-2354
available to provide information to residents of the Red River Valley, including details on existing flood protection levels, current forecasted flood levels and the status of community ring-dike closures. The offices will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. until the current flood risk is over.

I’ll be posting more updates as they come in and ways people can help those affected by the floods and evacuations.

Ice jams – flooding: Red River threat in Manitoba

Manitoba, North Dakota, Minnesota Flooding and Evacuations

Manitoba – Winnipeg Update: [source yahoo! canada news CP]

The real threat at the moment is coming from ice jams along the river, which have already caused overland flooding north of Winnipeg, he added. “We feel we can handle all the water. It’s the ice that may jam and cause localized flooding that challenged us in the last 48 hours and challenges us for the operation of the floodway.” The province won’t activate the floodway to divert water away from Winnipeg until the ice has cleared, he said. Sandbagging continued Friday to guard against the early stages of any flooding.

Evacuation alerts were still in effect for 850 people from the Roseau River First Nation and Riverside near the U.S. border. About 95 elders and those with chronic conditions were taken by charter buses to Winnipeg from Roseau River on Thursday as a precaution.

Meanwhile, authorities were keeping an eye on the ice jams north of Winnipeg. A blockage near the community of Lockport, Man., led to the evacuation of 40 homes earlier in the week. It broke up, but re-formed down the river. Emergency measures co-ordinator Paul Guyader said firefighters began checking water levels at first light Friday. Sandbagging efforts were focused in areas north of the blocked ice to prevent more homes from flooding, he said.

North Dakota, Minnesota Update: [source cbc.ca]

Ahead of potentially disastrous flooding from the rising Red River, officials in Minnesota asked thousands of households in a city bordering the river to evacuate Friday. About one-third of the households in Moorhead — 2,660 in all — are affected, said city spokeswoman Becky Jahnke. The move follows the mandatory evacuation of more than 190 homes, nursing homes, hospitals and a county jail in North Dakota as the swollen Red River broke a 112-year-old flood level record on Friday.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama has dispatched the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the region.

Check back to the missionlog here for updates on possible volunteer deployments with Project417 and the Salvation Army Emergency and Disaster Services.

Explosions in Two Toronto Apartment Buildings

Update: Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate after explosions rocked two Toronto apartment complexes in separate incidents Thursday.

The first, a condominium building in the east end at Kingston Rd and Eglinton, suffered two blasts shortly after 2:30 am – one inside a utility room, followed by a Hydro transformer outside the building. More than 500 residents were evacuated to a community centre, where volunteer relief workers provided meals. More here from yesterdays post.

photo url - ctv.ca

The second incident occurred early Thursday afternoon at 2369 Lake Shore Blvd., in the third-floor electrical room of a four-storey, 92-unit apartment building. [source ctv.ca] Residents were also evacuated to a nearby community centre – where about thirty stayed Thursday night. During investigation of the fire, what appeared to be marijuana grow-ops were discovered in three of the units. It’s not known whether the hydro consumed by the grow-ops contributed to the electrical room explosion.

Project417 volunteers also responded to the community centre with the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services team to assist residents and serve food and beverages adding to the relief assistance already being provided after the east end explosion.

Explosion at Toronto apartment – 500 residents evacuated

cbc.ca photo

Explosion in Toronto Apartment Complex

Location: Kingston Rd – Eglinton Avenue

Update from canoe: Hundreds of residents were evacuated after an explosion this morning at an east-end apartment. Many, some wearing only their pj’s and robes, were loaded onto transit buses and taken to a community center.

The explosion, in the basement utility room, knocked out the building’s power. read more | digg story Share it and Digg it up!

More from globeandmail.com – ” More than 500 were forced to evacuate the building . Following the blast in the condominium, a Hydro Transformer outside the building also exploded. Commander O’Hallarn of the Toronto Fire Departments said the evacuation has been lengthy because it took time to set up a location to temporarily house people. Some residents have been shuttled off to the Scarborough Village Community Centre at 3600 Kingston Rd….

And cbc.ca – “Most residents were able to enter their condos to take some of their belongings and pets with them. Some spent the day at a nearby community centre, while others said they were going to stay with friends or family.

Project417 Update – Once again, Project417 responded to the disaster. Project417’s Director, Joe Elkerton, had been on call all week for the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster response unit (EDS), backing up the vacationing Salvation Army manager in charge.  He received the call from Toronto Fire early Thursday morning that hundreds of residents were sheltered in the east end community center. Joe quickly organized  volunteers, picked up the EDS community response vehicle, which is a fully equipped and stocked 35′  mobile canteen, and headed for the center. Throughout the day, meals, snacks and beverages were served to residents and front-line personnel manning the evacuation centre. The EDS unit of the Salvation Army – with whom Project417 partners – is a critical component of Toronto’s overall emergency and disaster services plan.

New Orleans Update – Hurricane Ike Headed for Texas Coast – Louisiana Watchful

Hurricane and storm watch alerts for Ike

Latest reports are that Hurricane Ike, which battered Cuba with high winds and a five story storm surge, will make landfall on the Southeast Texas coast – Galveston Island to Houston area late friday, early Saturday. Currently rated category 2, but expected to pick up steam to category 3 at least before striking, Ike is already afftecting the Louisiana gulf coast area and New Orleans with winds in excess of 70 mph [ 120kph ] . Although the center of the storm’s path is headed towards Texas, it’s effects spread across hundreds of miles of southwest U.S. gulf coastline.

I’ve been planning to head down to New Orleans for Project417 since Labour Day weekend and the drive for donations to fund the trip is doing moderately well. However, there is still a shortfall of almost $800 to cover the trip expenses. For details of the project click here or visit Project417.com .  Please donate so we can continue to help the residents of New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 while they are still threatened by this years onslaught of tropical storms and hurricanes.  You can donate online by clicking on the Paypal link above or on the MissionLog home page.

Thanks!    <><  Andy

Gulf Coast New Orleans Spared as Gustav Downgraded and Passes Through

Hurricane Gustav moves inland, Hannah, Ike and Josephine move in.

Thankfully, Hurricane Gustav weakened before striking the gulf coast and passing New Orleans. According to news reports, Hurricane Gustav was downgraded to Category 2 hurricane before making landfall about a hundred miles to the south west of New Orleans in the Cajun bayou country of coastal Louisiana. Although Gustav packed a punch, with strong winds up to 170 kmh, the recently repaired and improved levees in New Orleans held back the storm surge – which was about three metres less than that during Katrina. The levees held, and the newly constructed storm gates were effective. The main levee along the New Orleans Industrial Canal was tested by Hurricane Gustav though, with the waters rising to the brim of the levee walls and storm blown waters cresting the top and cascading down into residential neighborhoods. The Industrial Canal was one of the levees to fail catastrophically during Katrina and cause the devastating flooding of the Lower Ninth Ward resulting in almost total destruction of the community.

The Lower 9th of Orleans Parish was where Project417 provided relief and reconstruction on three homes for the family of Mr. Herbert Gettridge in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. As of Monday during the passing of Gustav, there were reports of flooding in Orleans Parish streets from ankle to knee depth due to the water flowing over the tops of the levee. There were widespread power blackouts as Gustav’s hurricane winds shredded electrical power lines and toppled poles and towers with more than a million homes affected. Thank God so far the Industrial Canal levee, strengthened and upgraded in the past three years has held. In addition, the water pumps which are critical to pumping all storm drain and sewage from below-sea-level New Orleans, continued working – during Katrina, they were the first to fail. New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, had earlier in the week ordered the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, which went smoothly aided by contraflow traffic on the interstates and a well ordered parish by parish exodus, and is expected to issue the return home notices soon. Many New Orleans residents still chose to ride out the storm and hospitals were operating with skeleton staffing crews and back-up power. Reports are still coming in from southwest Louisiana where the brunt of the hurricane hit first. In addition, Bay St. Louis and Biloxi, Mississippi, both heavily damaged during Katrina, were also reporting heavy wind damage and surge flooding from Gustav.

As the Accuweather satellite photo depicts above, there is still a triple threat of hurricanes in the Atlantic from tropical storms Hannah, Ike and Josephine.

Project417 is heading to New Orleans in November, 2008 to continue re-construction in the Lower Ninth Ward. Outreach worker Andy Coats had been scheduled to visit New Orleans over the Labor Day weekend, but the news of Gustav has postponed that preparatory trip. Visit Project417 here to volunteer and donate to the recovery efforts.

[with notes from Toronto Sun, and Accuweather]