Svjetlana mlinarevic

Svjetlana Mlinarevic

Herald Leader/Winnipeg Sun

July 4, 2014

 

The province has declared the flood forecast is worse than expected, which could mean a deliberate breach at the Hoop and Holler.

 

During a press conference Friday evening, Premier Greg Selinger updated reporters on the developing flood conditions of the Assiniboine River. 

 

“Since declaring a state of emergency this morning, the flood forecast has worsened. We are now looking at a higher crest and the water is moving more quickly than anticipated,” said Selinger.

 

Forecasters for the province are expecting the Assiniboine River to crest in Brandon tomorrow and Portage on Tuesday. Due to the increase in water flow from between 48,000 cfs and 52,000 cfs Friday morning to 54,000 cubic squares per second (cfs) by Friday evening, the province will send the military to the Hoop and Holler bend to prepare for a controlled breach.

 

“We now consider to be the threshold for us to start preparing the Hoop and Holler for a controlled breach so that we don’t have an uncontrolled breach so that we don’t have uncontrolled breaches in the system,” said Doug McMahon, the assistant deputy minister with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation.

 

The province will begin preparing the Hoop and Holler area on Saturday morning for the equipment that might be used for the possible breach.

 

“This is very similar in nature to what happened in 2011. We have inundation maps that provide us with the potential inundation area … so that we can assist people in identifying what properties are at risk,” said McMahon, adding the Hoop and Holler location will need to be ready by Monday or Tuesday to control water flow.

 

Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization acting executive director Lee Spencer said the province will be helping homeowners near the Hoop and Holler protect their properties Saturday morning.

 

“As the army begins to arrive we will be fanning out with resources to help those identified properties, in priority, working from the river downstream preparing for the potential Hoop and Holler cut,” he said.

 

The province said the 200 homes already slated for flood protection east of Portage will remain as a priority and that no other homes are expected to be added to that number other than the 150 to 200 homes should the Hoop and Holler be breached.

 

Capacity for the Portage Diversion will also be expanded to handle the water levels to 2011 levels of 34,000 cfs. The Assiniboine dikes east of Portage are also being inspected and “hotspots” are being auctioned, according to McMahon.

“These will continue up until the peak of next Tuesday or Wednesday next week,” he said.

 

The Assiniboine River at the Portage Reservoir is forecasted to peak at 52,000 cfs to 54,000 cfs on July 8 or 9, two to three days earlier than previous projections Friday morning, should the weather hold up.

 

“Water levels will be similar or higher than 2011 for areas downstream of Portage la Prairie. The expected crest will be fairly sharp in that we will probably be over 50,000 cfs for a day to two days in duration,” said Steve Topping, executive director of the hydrologic forecasting and water management branch of Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation.

 

Canadian Forces from CFB Shilo arrived in Portage on Friday evening to begin work at the Hoop and Holler and other areas around the Assiniboine River dike system.