'Too much rain, too fast': Surface flooding damages homes in Watrous, Sask.
A quick-moving storm system left streets in Watrous flooded and many basements damaged.
That's according to the town's chief administrative officer Orrin Redden.
"We had a couple of significant rainfall events, we actually had about an inch of rain or so early Sunday afternoon and then last night, around six or so, we received varying amounts but two inches or more in about half an hour," Redden said, explaining how the town's storm drainage was overwhelmed by the rain.
"So just too much rain too fast, I guess."
Photos shared online by the town's local news outlet the Watrous-Manitou show streets covered in water, right up to the edges of some homes and businesses.
(Courtesy The Watrous-Manitou)
Speaking to CTV News on Tuesday morning, Redden said while it is too early to say how many residential properties were affected, the town office has been fielding many calls from residents.
"I suspect there will be a fairly significant number (of homes) with basement damage," Redden said.
Redden said the town is in the process of applying to the province's Disaster Assistance Program.
"Assuming we receive an approval, then property owners may have been able to obtain some financial assistance for restoring property."
DAMAGE IN MANITOU BEACH
Photos shared online by the Watrous-Manitou also show a hotel located in nearby Mantou Beach partially submerged.
(Courtesy the Watrous-Manitou)
On Monday night, while watching TV, Dahlen Poppl said he heard the rain hit the roof of his condo but didn’t think much of it.
When he saw the rain water pool over the street and flow down towards his home, he said “it was game over.”
“By the time we got downstairs, the garages were already about a foot-and-a-half deep,” Poppl said.
Dahlen and his wife, Ashleigh, have been cleaning up the aftermath.
They removed everything from their now-muddy garage and have been pumping out the water.
The couple is now in the process of dealing with insurance.
Chris Boehm, a project supervisor with Saskatoon Disaster Services, expects the repairs at Poppl’s condo building to be major.
“Definitely there’s a lot of work,” Boehm told CTV News.
“You can see the concrete foundations are all destroyed here.”
Manitou Beach is also considering applying to the province’s disaster assistance program , which would give residents financial help to fix the damages.
"Everything is just washed. There isn’t a street in this community that doesn’t have damage right now,” Manitou Beach Mayor Poppy Peterson told CTV News.
PART OF LARGER WEATHER SYSTEM
Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang told CTV News the storm that hit the town was one of "a number" that developed across Saskatchewan.
She said the weather station serving Watrous is currently undergoing upgrades so the agency couldn't provide a rainfall estimate.
However, she said weather watchers have reported 55 millimeters of rainfall "that would have fallen in a very short period of time."
Overland flooding was also seen east of Rosetown, according to Lang.
A photo shared by Jenny Hagen on Twitter shows flooding near Rosetown, (Courtesy Jenny Hagen/@LostInSk)
"Our weather station there came in with about 45 millimeters, but based on what we see coming from the radar, I would expect the amounts to be a lot higher than that."
Land said a weather watcher in the Rosetown area measured more than 100 millimeters of rain.
She said the storms are part of the same weather system that has been responsible for heavy rains in southern Alberta.
According to Lang, Prince Albert, La Ronge, Meadow Lake and Buffalo Narrows could see between 75 to 100 millimeters on Wednesday due to the weather system.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late
Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.