Calamity has once again struck our household. Over the weekend a pipe burst in my bathroom on the main floor. The ensuing flood took out my basement again. The second time in 3 years.
In the direct path of the water as it migrated downstairs through our ductwork was our desk and computer.
Thus I write this on my phone. I hope to be writing again and sharing my opinions as soon as humanly possible.
I will however still be checking in daily over my Android Phone. So keep those comments coming.
Well if you’ve missed it, been hiding under a rock or just were busy getting on with life in general, today is Judgment Day! No you don’t have to go to court, stand in line or generally be annoyed by one of our many legal systems because All Mighty God is coming to YOU!
Well at least if you believe in the whack-a-doodles over at the Family Radio Network. Harold Camping and his bible revisionist flock are guaranteeing the end of the world. (Guarantee not valid outside of crazyland.) For the last few months Camping’s group has spent untold dollars posting billboard ads around the world, some 3000 at last count including 85 or so in Canada, proclaiming the beginning of the end of the world.
In an attempt to divert water from overwhelming the Assiniboine River defences the Manitoba government has intentionally breached a diking system just east of Winnipeg. The intentional cut at Hoop and Holler Bend on the Assiniboine intentionally endangers about 200 square kilometres of prime farm land and approximately 200 homes in the area.
Troops help to flood proof a home (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
With water levels still on the rise in the west, and the peak river levels still weeks away Premier Greg Selinger worried that constant pressure on the ad-hoc diking system would be too great to handle the increase in pressure. Faced with a possible catastrophic diking failure he gave residents as much warning as possible to safeguard their homes before breaching the dike.
Strategic planning diagram of the Hoop and Holler cut (Government of Manitoba)
As of April 9 the 2011 flood has claimed one life, flooded an unknown number of homes north of Winnipeg and prompted evacuation in the St Andrews area.
Sandbagging in St. Andrews. (Lorraine Nickel - Global Winnipeg)
Saturday RCMP recovery personnel found the body of a61 year old man who was trying to drive across a flooded stretch of rural road in the Rural Municipality of De Salaberry south of Winnipeg.
Also ice jams caused evacuations north of Winnipeg in St. Andrews RM. Ice flowing in the Netley Creek area jammed the area causing water levels to rise sharply prompting the evacuation of about 50 area homes.
Ice conditions in the city of Winnipeg allowed the activation of the floodway which diverts flood water from the Red River around the city. The floodway gates were activated in three stages yesterday to allow city and rural water levels to stabilize and water to back up into the man-made spillway affectionately known as Duff’s Ditch.
A home sits alone in Morris, Manitoba. (Fred Greenslade - Reuters)
Also the communities of Ste. Agathe, St. Adolphe and Brunkild are being closed off with protective diking to make sure they stay dry throughout the coming weeks.
Live web cam footage of the flood is available here.
Bob
Exploring Winnipeg and Beyond. 