Manitoba Premier Announces Disaster Financial Assistance Following Severe Flooding

📅 3 days ago

Premier Wab Kinew has launched a provincewide disaster financial assistance program to support residents affected by recent severe flooding in Manitoba, particularly in Stonewall.

In Stonewall, Manitoba, Premier Wab Kinew visited one of the towns severely impacted by recent flooding to announce a comprehensive disaster financial assistance program for residents across the province. This announcement follows his earlier commitment to provide financial support to communities in western Manitoba, where several municipalities declared states of emergency due to flooding that overwhelmed riverbanks and inundated homes and businesses over the past weekend.
The premier's visit came after Stonewall experienced an astonishing 255 millimetres of rainfall in just one night, making it one of the hardest-hit areas during this week's storms. In response to the flooding, local authorities have advised residents to limit non-essential water use and have temporarily closed the local cemetery and Quarry Park due to overland flooding.
Kinew emphasized the province's commitment to ensuring that no one in rural Manitoba would be overlooked in the recovery efforts. He stated, "Your provincial government is going to make sure that there are the resources to help you clean up, to rebuild, and to recover from these terrible storms that we’ve been seeing recently." However, he did not specify the exact dollar amount that would be allocated for compensation, indicating that the financial details would be clarified as cleanup operations progress.
As part of the assistance program, Kinew urged flood-affected residents to first consult their insurance providers, as the program is designed to cover uninsurable losses and costs associated with disaster response efforts. The recent storms have resulted in extensive cleanup operations across various municipalities, with reports of heavy downpours, tennis ball-sized hail, and numerous power outages affecting the region.
Manitoba Hydro reported that restoration efforts were underway, with the utility anticipating that most power outages would be resolved by the end of Thursday. However, approximately 1,400 customers in Winnipeg remained without electricity. In a statement, the utility acknowledged the challenges faced by customers who have been without power for prolonged periods and assured that multiple crews were prioritizing the restoration of services, particularly in areas where power lines were down and access was difficult due to flooding.
Moreover, Manitoba Hydro is closely monitoring overland flooding near the Dorsey Converter Station, located in the Rural Municipality of Rosser, northwest of Winnipeg. Due to the flooded roads, non-essential staff have been instructed to work from alternative locations, although the facility, which transmits over 70 percent of the province's electricity, continues to operate without impacting customer service.
In an effort to alleviate the pressure on rural communities, the province has also closed several highways, including Highway 221 near Dorsey, due to the heavy rainfall and flooding. In some instances, roadways have buckled under the immense water volumes, highlighting the severity of the situation and the extensive infrastructure challenges faced in the aftermath of the storms.

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