Mike Kunka was forced this month to ponder the possibility of renaming his motel at Melita, Man.
Situated beside the Souris River, the Melita By The River Motel found itself surrounded by water in recent weeks. Fed by spring runoff, the river became more like a lake, threatening low-lying areas of the community.
“This year it was really scary,” said Kunka, who bought the motel two years ago. “It was really getting up there.”
As of last week, the threat of flooding had begun to subside at Melita, a community in southwestern Manitoba. Extra dikes had been built in recent weeks to protect businesses most vulnerable to the high waters.
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“We’re not in an emergency situation anymore,” said Carol Coutu, Melita town office secretary. “The river’s going down.”
That bodes well for the community, but farmers who work land along the river are not out of the woods yet.
Manitoba’s river flood forecast centre said again last week that some farmland close to the river will likely be under water until mid-May. The land most affected rests between the United States border and Hartney, Man.
