2011 Souris River flood
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Souris River
flood is a record hundred-year flooding event on the Souris, a tributary of the Assiniboine River
, which it meets near Treesbank
, Manitoba
. The Assiniboine meets the Red River of the North
south of Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. The flooding has affected Saskatchewan
and North Dakota
, and overtoped levees in Minot, North Dakota
causing the evacuation of about 11,000 residents. The flooding in Minot was worse than the 1969 flood and 1881 flood. Many other towns along the river were affected and many acres of farmland were inundated.
from the previous La Niña
winter added to overflow on rivers across North America. Since May 2011, heavy rains and thunderstorms driven by a series of cut off lows migrating westward triggered more flooding on watersheds in the southern Prairie Provinces, as some communities received nearly the annual rainfall in less than two months.
ing occurred between the Souris River source and the Assiniboine River
, as Kingsley No. 124, Saskatchewan
saw its worst flooding in over 50 years. Towards late May, barely half Saskatchewan's agricultural crops had been seeded, while southeastern Saskatchewan, surrounding the Souris River was the worst-hit. However, even as the flooding continued, in northern Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, significant fires burned while the weather remained dry and lightning
was able to spark new blazes.
On June 17, Weyburn, Saskatchewan became one of 19 Saskatchewan communities to declare a state of emergency
from the severe flooding, after a power outage
caused the failure of the city's waste treatment
plant; Saskatoon
, surrounding the South Saskatchewan River
also experienced street-level floods. The next day, more flash flooding resulted in flooded homes and basements from Regina
to Weyburn, while Estevan declared a state of emergency from flooding.
By June 19, a dike breech flooded the village of Roche Percee, Saskatchewan
, forcing about 150 residents to evacuate. A trailer park
in downstream Estevan also evacuated about 400 people. Several major highways, including part of Highway 47, Saskatchewan Highway 56
and the Trans-Canada Highway
1 near Sintaluta were closed due to flooding damage. By June 21, Estevan had recorded 324 mm (12.8 in) of rain since May 1, making it the wettest two-month May–June period on record, while the average annual rainfall in Estevan is 333 mm (13.1 in). Water was released from two area dams to ease the pressure on the local reservoirs. At the start of summer, the flood crest moved downstream into the United States.
anticipated a full dike breech on the Souris by June 25 or 26 after the river began overtopping it on June 22. Close to 11,000 residents were evacuated from Minot, North Dakota.
The flood was expected to exceed the 1969 levels, while residents seek relief in evacuation shelters nearby.
On June 24, the Souris River exceeded record flood levels at Minot. By June 26, all hydrographs on the Souris from the North Dakota side had recorded record-breaking flood levels, with the exception of Lake Darling
, which was less than 0.2 ft (6.1 cm) from record stage.
and the Assiniboine River
, which amounted to a 300-year flood. Also lake levels at Lake Manitoba will continue to be high or may even rise more due to the high flows on the Souris River that flows into the Assiniboine east of Brandon near Treesbank. The province has stated that the flood protection and the Portage Diversion will be pushed to their limits again.
At least 85 families were evacuated from Souris, Manitoba
by June 27. On July 2, 2011 the army from CFB Shilo was sent in to help with the sandbagging and building up of dykes. The river crested at Melita
on July 4, at Souris on July 5 and Wawanesa on July 6. With dry weather the peak levels were a little lower than forecast and the dikes held. See the record from Manitoba Water Stewardship's daily flood report for July 7, 2011.
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
flood is a record hundred-year flooding event on the Souris, a tributary of the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, which it meets near Treesbank
Treesbank, Manitoba
Treesbank is a settlement in Manitoba. It is located in the Rural Municipality of South Cypress. The Souris River meets combines with the Assiniboine River at Treesbank....
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The Assiniboine meets the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
south of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The flooding has affected Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, and overtoped levees in Minot, North Dakota
Minot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
causing the evacuation of about 11,000 residents. The flooding in Minot was worse than the 1969 flood and 1881 flood. Many other towns along the river were affected and many acres of farmland were inundated.
Background
Flooding in Saskatchewan the previous summer, in addition to heavy snowfall and a thick snowpackSnowpack
Snowpack forms from layers of snow that accumulate in geographic regions and high altitudes where the climate includes cold weather for extended periods during the year. Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as they melt. Snowpacks are the drinking water source for...
from the previous La Niña
La Niña
La Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern. During a period of La Niña, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5 °C...
winter added to overflow on rivers across North America. Since May 2011, heavy rains and thunderstorms driven by a series of cut off lows migrating westward triggered more flooding on watersheds in the southern Prairie Provinces, as some communities received nearly the annual rainfall in less than two months.
Saskatchewan
In early May, flash floodFlash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
ing occurred between the Souris River source and the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, as Kingsley No. 124, Saskatchewan
Kingsley No. 124, Saskatchewan
Kingsley No. 124 is a rural municipality in south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada encompassing 844.61 square kilometers in area. The rural municipality maintains it's office in Kipling, Saskatchewan . The rural municipality in conjunction with the provincial government is in charge of maintenance...
saw its worst flooding in over 50 years. Towards late May, barely half Saskatchewan's agricultural crops had been seeded, while southeastern Saskatchewan, surrounding the Souris River was the worst-hit. However, even as the flooding continued, in northern Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, significant fires burned while the weather remained dry and lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
was able to spark new blazes.
On June 17, Weyburn, Saskatchewan became one of 19 Saskatchewan communities to declare a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
from the severe flooding, after a power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
caused the failure of the city's waste treatment
Waste treatment
Waste treatment refers to the activities required to ensure that waste has the least practicable impact on the environment. In many countries various forms of waste treatment are required by law.-Solid waste treatment:...
plant; Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, surrounding the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....
also experienced street-level floods. The next day, more flash flooding resulted in flooded homes and basements from Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
to Weyburn, while Estevan declared a state of emergency from flooding.
By June 19, a dike breech flooded the village of Roche Percee, Saskatchewan
Roche Percee, Saskatchewan
-References:...
, forcing about 150 residents to evacuate. A trailer park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
in downstream Estevan also evacuated about 400 people. Several major highways, including part of Highway 47, Saskatchewan Highway 56
Saskatchewan Highway 56
Highway 56 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 1 near Indian Head to Highway 210 within the Echo Valley Provincial Park. Highway 56 is about 57 km long....
and the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
1 near Sintaluta were closed due to flooding damage. By June 21, Estevan had recorded 324 mm (12.8 in) of rain since May 1, making it the wettest two-month May–June period on record, while the average annual rainfall in Estevan is 333 mm (13.1 in). Water was released from two area dams to ease the pressure on the local reservoirs. At the start of summer, the flood crest moved downstream into the United States.
North Dakota
Forecasters and hydrologistsHydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
anticipated a full dike breech on the Souris by June 25 or 26 after the river began overtopping it on June 22. Close to 11,000 residents were evacuated from Minot, North Dakota.
The flood was expected to exceed the 1969 levels, while residents seek relief in evacuation shelters nearby.
On June 24, the Souris River exceeded record flood levels at Minot. By June 26, all hydrographs on the Souris from the North Dakota side had recorded record-breaking flood levels, with the exception of Lake Darling
Lake Darling Dam
Lake Darling Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Souris River located northwest of Minot, Ward County, North Dakota. The dam began impounding water in April 1936 and was completed July of that year. It was created for the purposes of water storage and conservation. It is part of the Upper...
, which was less than 0.2 ft (6.1 cm) from record stage.
Manitoba
Manitoba officials began preparing for the third time in 2011 for Souris flooding in late June as communities were expecting record flooding, after already experiencing flooding on the Red River2011 Red River flood
The 2011 Red River flood took place along the Red River of the North in Manitoba in Canada and North Dakota and Minnesota in the United States beginning in April 2011. The flood was, in part, due to high moisture levels in the soil from the previous year which meant that further accumulation would...
and the Assiniboine River
2011 Assiniboine River flood
The 2011 Assiniboine River flood was caused by above average precipitation in Western Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This was a 1 in 300 year flood that affected much of Western Manitoba...
, which amounted to a 300-year flood. Also lake levels at Lake Manitoba will continue to be high or may even rise more due to the high flows on the Souris River that flows into the Assiniboine east of Brandon near Treesbank. The province has stated that the flood protection and the Portage Diversion will be pushed to their limits again.
At least 85 families were evacuated from Souris, Manitoba
Souris, Manitoba
Souris is a town in the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of Manitoba, 2006 population 1,772, total including Glenwood Municipality is 2,412. It is located on the Souris River, from which it takes its name. The town is home to Canada's longest historic cable-stayed footbridge , known...
by June 27. On July 2, 2011 the army from CFB Shilo was sent in to help with the sandbagging and building up of dykes. The river crested at Melita
Melita
Melita may refer to:Places* Malta, a European country in the Mediterranean sea * Melita, California, former town* Melita, Manitoba, Canada* Mljet, People...
on July 4, at Souris on July 5 and Wawanesa on July 6. With dry weather the peak levels were a little lower than forecast and the dikes held. See the record from Manitoba Water Stewardship's daily flood report for July 7, 2011.
See also
- 2011 Mississippi River flood
- 2011 Missouri River floods2011 Missouri River floodsThe 2011 Missouri River floods are a flooding event on the Missouri River in the United States. The flooding has been triggered by record snowfall in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming along with near record spring rainfall in central and eastern Montana...
- 2011 Assiniboine River flood2011 Assiniboine River floodThe 2011 Assiniboine River flood was caused by above average precipitation in Western Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This was a 1 in 300 year flood that affected much of Western Manitoba...
- 2011 Red River flood2011 Red River floodThe 2011 Red River flood took place along the Red River of the North in Manitoba in Canada and North Dakota and Minnesota in the United States beginning in April 2011. The flood was, in part, due to high moisture levels in the soil from the previous year which meant that further accumulation would...
External links
- Minot Floods: A Town Devastated — slideshow by Life magazine