Multiple municipalities have declared a state of local emergency following last week’s storm that brought widespread rain, winds, hail and flooding.
The Town of Stonewall and the RMs of Rockwood, Rosser and Woodlands have all declared a state of local emergency, which allows these municipalities to implement emergency plans, take all necessary actions to protect people and property and support response and recovery operations. In addition, this declaration allows municipalities to control, permit or prohibit travel on streets and roads, as well as access available emergency resources and assistance. The RMs of St. Andrews and St. François Xavier also declared local states of emergency following the storm.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s weather summary of the severe weather outbreak from Tuesday, June 9 to the following morning, Stonewall was hit the hardest with 255 mm of total rainfall over a seven-hour period. Other local communities were also hit hard with 120 mm in Woodlands, 97 mm in Teulon, and 61 mm in Inwood.
Town of Stonewall
The Town of Stonewall declared a state of local emergency on June 11 following an exceptional rainfall event that led to widespread flooding across the community. Homes and businesses continue to deal with the impacts of overland flooding and sewer backup. The intensity and volume of rainfall placed significant pressure on the town’s drainage and sewer systems, including lift stations.
The storm also affected access to the town’s lagoon facilities, creating additional operational challenges. As a precautionary measure, residents were asked to limit unnecessary water use to help ease demand on the system. A public notice confirmed that drinking water remained safe and the treatment plant continued to operate normally.
In addition, the entrance to Quarry Park sustained damage, and the park was closed for public safety. All outdoor facilities at Quarry Park as well as the Stonewall cemetery were closed to the public due to the flooding.
Mayor Sandra Smith encourages Stonewall residents to sign up for the Voyent Alert system through the town’s website at stonewall.ca or at voyent-alert.com/community. It’s free to sign up for Voyent Alert, which helps to keep Stonewall residents informed with important updates like severe weather alerts, boil water notices, evacuation notices and more. In addition, she suggests checking the town’s website and social media pages for accurate information.
The Provincial Recovery and Mitigation Team will be at the Veterans Memorial Sports Complex (550 Main St. in Stonewall) on June 19 and June 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to provide in-person Disaster Financial Assistance sessions.
Representatives will be on hand to answer questions about applying for DFA and support with inspections, if needed. It’s important to bring identification, photos of the damage, insurance policy information and tax roll number — which can be looked up at https://www.gov.mb.ca/mao/public/map.aspx — to meet with DFA.
Smith encourages everyone impacted by the flood to apply for Disaster Financial Assistance, including those with primary residences, businesses, non-profit organizations and farms. The impacts could include sewage backup, overland flooding, power outages and more.
DFA applications can be downloaded at https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/emo/insurance-declaration-form.pdf and paper applications are also available at the town office.
“It’s been such a difficult time in our town for the last few days, and I know people are stressed. Some people are finding out from their insurance companies that they’re not as covered as they thought they’d be, so it’s pretty traumatic for a lot of families,” Smith said.
“When you see everything that people have hauled out of their homes in their yards and at the end of the driveway, it’s heartbreaking.”
Smith expressed appreciation for Dennis Peterson, Stonewall’s municipal emergency coordinator, as well as for all the individuals and businesses that stepped up to help.
“There’s a lot of work behind the scenes that not everyone sees. Through all this devastation, a lot of good things have happened and it has confirmed what our community is made of. It’s a great place to call home,” Smith said.
“The community has come together in ways we never would have imagined, and I’m very proud to be part of a town that is so caring. Everybody came together and it’s heartwarming to see — but it’s heartbreaking why we had to do it.”
RM of Rockwood
Similarly, the RM of Rockwood also declared a state of local emergency on June 10 at 2 a.m. The same day, the municipal office extended its phone hours in an effort to support residents and answer questions. Municipal staff were available by phone around the clock.
Flooding affected homes, businesses and infrastructure across Argyle, Balmoral, Grosse Isle, Gunton, Komarno, Stony Mountain and surrounding rural areas. Residents were urged to avoid non-essential travel and stay clear of flooded areas.
Many roads were closed throughout the municipality, including stretches of Road 74N, Road 7E, Road 10E, Road 14E, Road 82N.
Those with private wells were advised that flooding and high water levels could affect private well systems and impact water quality. Older well systems can be more susceptible to contamination. The RM also advised residents to keep away from ditches and retention ponds since water was deep and fast-moving.
Lift stations were working hard to keep up with the volume of overland water. The RM of Rockwood also asked residents to temporarily reduce water to essential needs only to protect the municipal water and sewer systems and to ensure water is available for emergency services.
Rockwood Reeve Wes Taplin shared a video message through social media channels to reach out to residents
“What happens in our rural municipalities affects our families, businesses, transportation networks and the agricultural economy that supports communities across Manitoba. The challenges we are experiencing today extend beyond municipal boundaries. Significant flooding is impacting homes, properties, farmland and local infrastructure. Our farmers and producers continue to work through difficult conditions as they manage excess water and its effects on their operations,” Taplin said.
“These challenges have implications not only for local communities but for Manitoba’s broader agriculture sector and economy. We are grateful for the support and collaboration we have received from neighbouring municipalities, emergency responders, provincial agencies and community businesses and volunteers. Responding to events like this requires partnerships at every level, and we appreciate the efforts being made to help affect communities.”
Looking ahead, Taplin said Rockwood and rural Manitoba will need continued attention.
“Strong infrastructure, effective emergency management and support for affected residents, businesses and agriculture producers are essential to helping communities recover and remain resilient in the face of increasingly challenging weather events,” he said.
“Rockwood is a strong community and by working together we will get through this. Take care of yourselves, your neighbours, yourselves and our communities. Please stay safe and we will continue to keep you informed.”
RM of Woodlands
On Wednesday, June 10, the RM of Woodlands also declared a state of local emergency.
Reeve Doug Oliver said the RM is experiencing widespread impacts due to overland flooding.
“The most severe effects have been in the Warren area, where several streets were completely underwater and many residents have experienced flooded basements. In Woodlands, the wastewater system has been significantly strained, resulting in an overloaded lift station, sewer backups and the need for an emergency lagoon discharge to protect infrastructure,” he said.
“Beyond our urban areas, there have been numerous washouts on gravel roads throughout the municipality, creating hazardous travel conditions and access challenges. The agricultural sector has also been heavily affected, with many producers reporting extensive crop losses due to saturated fields and standing water.”
Municipal staff worked around the clock to respond to the emergency.
“We have brought in additional equipment to help move water away from residences where it is feasible to do so. Sand and sandbags are available to residents in Woodlands and Warren. We are also maintaining continuous communication with emergency partners and provincial agencies as needed,” Oliver said.
“Due to the volume and severity of issues, we are prioritizing high-risk situations, while documenting and assessing all reported concerns so we can respond as conditions allow.”
Oliver encouraged residents to document all flood-related damage thoroughly before beginning cleanup or disposing of items, since this information will be important for insurance claims or Disaster Financial Assistance applications. The RM transfer station is currently accepting flood-related waste from residents at no charge to assist with recovery, and the municipality has waste disposal bins set up in Woodlands and Warren.
“We want residents to know that we understand how difficult and stressful this situation is, and we are doing everything we can to support the community. We ask for patience as we work through priorities — there are situations where we simply cannot move water without negatively affecting others, and in some cases we must wait for water levels to recede naturally,” he said.
“We also ask residents to be cautious, especially when travelling on gravel roads where washouts may be present, and to report any hazards they encounter. If you need assistance or want to report flooding, please contact the RM office, understanding that response times may vary based on urgency. Finally, we want to emphasize the importance of kindness and neighbourliness. We’re all in this together, and we’ll get through it together.”
RM of Rosser
The RM of Rosser also declared a state of local emergency on June 10 at 6:10 a.m. due to the extreme weather. At the time, the municipal offices had no power, so the RM set up a temporary command centre in the boardroom of Premier Truck Group in CentrePort.
A wave of water hit Grosse Isle after many people had already gone to bed the night before, prompting firefighters to go door-to-door to warn residents and help them evacuate. In a couple of instances, boats were used to get people safely out of their homes.
“We thought we might even have to do a mandatory evacuation order,” said CAO Larry Wandowich.
“With all the water coming into that smaller area of Grosse Isle, some people had to leave their homes. We used the community centre as a staging area to make sure everybody was safe. Even though it didn’t have any power, it was a safe place.”
The provincial government decided to cut Highway 221 in an effort to prevent water from reaching Hydro’s Dorsey Station, as well as the municipality’s fire hall and public works building. Volunteers also stepped up to help with sandbagging efforts.
Reeve Ken Mulligan praised municipal staff, volunteers and residents for their response to the flooding.
“It’s day by day. We’ve got great staff here, so we’re getting through it. I think it strengthens our RM and the surrounding RMs. Our community has really pulled together, and I want to take my hat off to everyone who has offered support. At this point, I feel that we’re holding our own. The high waters to the north of our RM are moving to the south,” he said Friday.
“The difficulty now is trying to get the water through the city. For years, we’ve been working on how we can divert water around the city into the Assiniboine west of Winnipeg. They’ve actually tightened the amount of water that goes through the city. The Assiniboine is full of water, and some of it has come in already from Swan River, so we can’t get our water in there. We’re taking on water from the northern municipalities that were affected as bad as we were. We need to get this water diverted around the city rather than go through the city.”
Town of Teulon
In Teulon, Green Acres Park closed on June 10 after nearly six inches of rain caused severe flooding and unsafe conditions.
Chief administrative officer Chris Yuen said the town’s primary challenge was dealing with the sheer volume of water.
“Our town received nearly six inches of rain on Tuesday night and more rain on Wednesday, which has put an extreme amount of stress on our infrastructure,” he said.
Teulon’s public works department toiled around the clock to manage the situation safely. Crews worked to clear debris from culverts and drainage channels to maximize water flow and speed the recession of floodwaters while monitoring infrastructure and ground conditions.
“To protect public safety and prevent long-term damage to our community fields, we have officially closed all activities at Green Acres Park immediately,” Yuen added. “Walking or playing on the fields right now would ruin the wet grass and soil, causing damage that could take months to fix, so keeping people off the fields is a priority while the water drains.”
The municipality also asked residents to reduce water usage and ensure sump pumps are discharging outside rather than pumping into the sewer system.
“Because the sewer system is pushed to its limit, any extra water sent down indoor drains increases the risk of sewer backups into residents’ basements. We are asking everyone to limit indoor water use by holding off on laundry, delaying dishwasher use, taking shorter showers and flushing less often,” Yuen said.
“We really appreciate the patience and community spirit our residents have shown as we work through this. We will continue to post official updates as conditions improve and facilities can safely reopen.”
Interlake School Division
In addition to local municipalities, the Interlake School Division is also grappling with the impacts of the storm. The entire division was closed on June 10. On June 11, four schools remained closed — Stony Mountain School, École R.W. Bobby Bend School, École Stonewall Centennial School and Warren Elementary School — to allow maintenance staff to continue cleanup and sanitization efforts.
On June 12, the division confirmed Stony Mountain School would remain inaccessible until at least June 30. Families were advised that student programming would be cancelled on June 15 and 16, with a goal of resuming in-person learning at an alternate location as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so.
“Due to variable road conditions across several municipalities, bus transportation has been impacted. As road conditions improve, we look forward to returning to full service in all areas,” said Supt. Margaret Ward.
“ISD is doing everything possible to keep schools open so that families have a safe place to send their children to during this very challenging time for our families and communities.”
