'The crest could be within 24 hours,' says Brandon mayor as city continues flood preparations

'The crest could be within 24 hours,' says Brandon mayor as city continues flood preparations

Mayor Jeff Fawcett says western Manitoba city is well-prepared ahead of Assiniboine River's predicted peak

Brandon's mayor says the Assiniboine River could reach peak water levels within a day, as Manitoba's second-largest city continues to prepare for flooding.

The river has been left swollen after heavy rainfall caused devastating flooding in the Parkland region, located north of Brandon. Floodwaters are funnelling into the Assiniboine, which has raised by about eight feet — nearly 2.5 metres — in recent days, Mayor Jeff Fawcett said.

"The crest could be within 24 hours," the mayor told CBC News while overlooking floodwaters outside the Riverbank Discovery Centre on Sunday.

And the river continues to rise.

It's predicted to peak around Monday, city officials said in a flood update on Sunday. The mayor said it could rise by about another foot and remain at that level for a while.

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Brandon, located in a valley about 200 kilometres west of Winnipeg, declared a state of emergency on July 4 ahead of the incoming flooding threat.

Since then, flood forecasts from the province have been accurate and "things have gone as planned," Fawcett said.

"Everything looks good right now," he said.

"We have very good infrastructure in place, and it's monitored and maintained. It gives us a viable chance to make it through these things."

The dike system — built up after severe flooding in 2011 — is being monitored and some roads have been lined with sandbags.

However, water levels have risen near First Street and seeped through sandbags, the city said in social media post on Sunday. Northbound First Street has been closed and traffic is moving in both directions using the southbound lane only, the city said.

There's water on part of the road and officials are warning drivers to be cautious.

Brian Martin, who is originally from flood-hit Dauphin but has lived in Brandon for about two decades, said he's not worried about the flooding because he feels that the city's flood-prevention infrastructure is working.

"They've done a lot of work and … it seems to be working," Martin said, adding he's come to expect flooding in the spring and summer.

About 4,000 residents who live in areas near the river that are at risk of flooding have received evacuation notices warning them to prepare a go-bag with necessities in case they need to leave. An evacuation order has not been issued.

Lana Carnegie, who received a notice several days ago, is packing pet food and supplies for her dog Austin and cat Hailey, and a go-bag for herself, in the event of an evacuation.

She lives about two blocks away from the river's south bank and was surprised to see how high the water had risen on her daily walk on Sunday morning.

"Today it's high," Carnegie said. "It's moving really fast."

But she's lived through three floods in the city before, including the 2011 flood, and she feels as prepared as she can be.

"There's nothing else we can do at this point in time. It's just waiting for the crest and just be ready. Have your stuff ready, that's the best thing you can do," she said.

The city serves as a hub for much of western Manitoba. Fawcett said municipal officials are preparing and monitoring around the clock so that essential services, like the hospital, remain open for those that need it.

"We're trying to do this for our whole region," he said.

'Controlling everything we can control,' Brandon mayor says ahead of expected flooding

They're also trying to avoid diverting resources to flood-ravaged communities in the Parkland area north of Brandon.

"We want to make sure that we get through this, so that the province and others can continue to focus on our neighbours that have had some really serious situations," he said.

"We're going to get through this," he said, crossing his fingers and stressing that some conditions are outside of their control.

Lauren Scott is a Winnipeg-based reporter with CBC Manitoba. They hold a master’s degree in computational and data journalism, and have previously worked for the Hamilton Spectator and The Canadian Press.