Ernie Sirski remembers the 1975 flood that tore through Dauphin.
He's lived in the Rural Municipality for 70 years, but he can't remember a more destructive flood than what swept through Dauphin and the Parkland region last week. In the RM of Dauphin, over 200 roads are washed out.
Ranging from minor road washing to severe, with complete or near complete failure of the roadway, and all of the ford crossings are compromised.
The best way for Ernie to describe the flood is that it's ugly.
"The fortunate part was that there were no fatalities or injuries," said Sirski. "That was the good thing about it. We're fortunate and happy with that. With that said, we will be repairing the damage for months."
If driving within the RM, Sirski urges you to be cautious.
"The second thing is if the road still has water over it and says it's closed, please respect that sign," added Sirski. "To my understanding, if you drive on a closed road, you've got no insurance. Keep that in mind when you're going down a closed road."
Sirski says he's witnessed tourists going down the roads to see the damage. He said that's a no-no.
"Let our crews get their work done. The more traffic on our roads, the worse it'll be, and the longer it's going to take," commented Sirski. "If you don't need to travel down that road, don't. If the road is crappy and open, maybe you don't have to haul that semiload of grain out today, maybe you can wait, and let things dry out a bit more."
The RM of Dauphin declared a local state of emergency last Wednesday. That makes the RM eligible for provincial funds for repairing infrastructure.
They've received an interim payment of $500,000 from the province, which Ernie says will go a long way.
"But the reality is it's not going to cover it. It's not going to cover the amount of damage that has been done," said Sirski. "We're going to continue to pursue the federal and provincial governments for some more financial contribution to the situation we have here."
Ernie also praises community members for stepping up and Public Works. Staff have been working 14 to 16-hour days and will continue doing so while the recovery process continues.
"I cautioned them to make sure they get some rest because the last thing I want is them getting hurt," ended Sirski. "They have done a phenomenal job. We've brought in exterior contractors to help us with this, or else we will never get it done on our own."
The RM will continue to provide updates.
Additionally, the Disaster Financial Assistance program helps Manitobans recover by providing financial assistance for uninsurable losses. You can view details of the program and apply here.
