Region coping with storm aftermath

Flooding in the aftermath of torrential rainfall Sunday night and all day Monday all but cut off Rainy River District off from the rest of the province—causing millions of dollars in damage.
Late Tuesday, Emo was the latest community to declare a state of emergency, joining Rainy River, Atikokan, Dawson, and Lake of the Woods.
Major and numerous secondary highways in all directions from Fort Frances, as well as several in northern Minnesota, remain closed as of press time today due to washouts, leaving drivers unable to get through to Dryden, Kenora, or Atikokan.
Among those closed were Highway 11 east of Highway 502 to Atikokan, Highway 11 from Fort Frances to Emo, Highway 502 from Highway 11 to Dryden, and Highway 71 from Highway 11 to the Trans-Canada.
Also closed were Highway 622 from Highway 11 to Highway 17, and Highways 611 South, 613 South, 615, 617, 619, 621, and 600.
Minnesota Highway 11 between Warroad and Baudette, the preferred route linking Rainy River District to Winnipeg, also has been closed.
There is limited travel on Highway 11 from Emo to Rainy River and Highway 602 from Fort Frances to Emo, the OPP reported. And Highway 105 to Red Lake at “dead man’s” corner was restricted to one lane.
OPP were still advising motorists to remain off the highways if possible, and to drive with extreme caution if they must travel. They also ask people to not call local detachments for updates on road conditions since it ties up emergency phone lines.
Closed highways, which also has cut off mail to and from the region, weren’t the only problem resulting from the two-day deluge.
“Lake levels are rising rapidly and the waste gates are open. [And] the water levels in the lower river are going to rise,” noted Jim Gartshore, general manager for the Abitibi-Consolidated mill here.
Gartshore said there was more water than the mill could use to generate power currently in the lake, so they had to spill the excess to keep the lake under control.
Seven of the 15 waste gates are now open, sending water downstream towards Rainy River and Lake of the Woods.
In response to the rising river, flooded homes, and closed highways, NDP leader and local MPP Howard Hampton already has asked the province for help.
Hampton urged the government to allocate emergency funding to rebuild provincial highways destroyed by water damage, and give money for municipalities to replace and repair secondary roads.
“Highways throughout the region have been closed indefinitely and these highway closures could potentially cost the economy of northwest millions of dollars, especially as this is the middle of tourist season,” Hampton wrote in an open letter to the Ministry of Transportation.
He’s also asked that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing prepare for Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance claims, which will begin rolling in to help cover the costs of the flooding.
Hampton noted municipalities can apply for disaster relief to cover costs replacing roads, etc. that were damaged in the severe weather. Later through a local committee that would be formed, homeowners also might be able to apply for relief if the province has allocated funding.
Indian Affairs Minister and local MP Bob Nault has also been concerned about flooding conditions in the region and said that he’s been in contact with various municipalities to help co-ordinate emergency response.
“As a Northerner, I know that we will work together in order to help those in need,” Nault said in a press release. “I would encourage everyone to check up on their friends and neighbors and to offer what help they can to those in difficulty.”
But for some district residents, just getting the power back on was their biggest concern. Many have been without power since 11 p.m. on Monday.
Hydro One said torrential downpours, tornado-force winds, lightning, fallen trees, broken poles, and damaged transformer station equipment were some of the causes of the power outages affecting 700 homes from Atikokan to Rainy River to Kenora.
Lines and forestry staff, helicopters, and transformer station technicians all were being used to restore power.
“We expect to have all power restored by midnight tonight in all [larger] centres in Fort Frances [region],” said Al Manchee of Hydro One. “We’re facing different challenges with washed out roads.”
But residents in Devlin and Sifton are being advised that their power won’t be restored until Friday.
Concerns over water safety also were at the forefront of some Fort Frances residents.
“There’s nothing wrong with out water,” stressed Raymond Roy, superintendent of operations for the town.
But he did ask that residents try to keep water usage down because all water goes into the sewer system, which is now full dealing with the excess flooding.
Roy said crews were working all night to ensure the flooding remained under control. Areas such as the ditch system on Crowe Avenue and Frenette Avenue were particularly troublesome.
“It’s flowing, but it is a concern since the water is surrounding properties,” he noted.
Roy also had crews checking water levels on the lower river. While he said the water definitely was high, he wasn’t worried about it—yet.
“If it doesn’t rain any more, it is going to be ok,” he remarked.
Unfortunately, Environment Canada forecaster Peter Staples said sunny skies are not quite ahead. “A weaker system is set to bring more rain to the area Wednesday,” he said.
But he added this next wave of rainfall wouldn’t come anywhere near the record-breaking downfall that pummelled the region over 48 hours earlier this week.
By Tuesday morning, Fort Frances had received 128.6 mm (more than five inches) of rain, which was nothing compared to the 195.8 mm Atikokan battled.
Amounts ranged from 113.9 mm in Dryden, 97.2 mm in Kenora, and 91.5 in Sioux Lookout, but Mine Centre by far received the most rain.
By 7 p.m. Monday, 192.6 mm had been recorded and that easily topped 200 mm with another downpour later that evening.
“I’ve worked here 12 years and I’ve never seen numbers this high before,” Staples said Tuesday.