By D’Arce McMillan
Saskatoon newsroom
The small community of Gainsborough, Sask., was under evacuation order and about 16 communities in the southeast portion of the province and 24 communities in Manitoba had declared states of emergency Sunday because of rain and overland flooding.
A slow moving storm delivered a deluge.On Sunday night an Environment Canada rainfall warning remained in effect for most of the eastern half of Saskatchewan and the western half of Manitoba.
“This system has brought exceptionally heavy rainfall to parts of the warning area over the past 24 to 48 hours with amounts of 100 to 200 mm being reported along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border from Yorkton through Moosomin to Redvers into the Melita and Virden areas,” Environment Canada said.
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The cities of Yorkton and Melville in Saskatchewan took the step earlier in the day as the rain overwhelmed sewer systems.
Gainsborough, with a population of about 350, is under a mandatory evacuation order Sunday night as Gainsborough Creek floods its banks. Emergency shelters have seen set up at Carievale school, Carnduff school and Carnduff Legion.
The TransCanada Highway west of Wolseley is closed because of flooding, as are several other highways and roads in the region. The Saskatchewan Highway Hotline said water was over the road in various locations around Carlyle, Redvers, Moosomin, Alida, Rocanville and Carievale. It advised motorists to use extreme caution when traveling in these vicinities.
Water was also over the road in locations about Melville, Lemberg, Neudorf, Swan Plain, Churchbridge, Stockholm and Rhein.
The region had already struggled with excess moisture through the spring, reducing the area that could be seeded. The latest rain will flood and damage additional acres.
ICE Futures Canada November futures were up about $4 per tonne Sunday night.
