Flooding in Winnipeg Area Claims Its First Victim
Flooding in Manitoba, directly north of the rain-soaked U.S. Midwest, has claimed its first victim and damaged thousands of homes and businesses in the capital city.
A 14-year-old boy was swept away by heavy currents and presumed drowned after he waded into a rain-swollen creek Thursday in a suburb of Winnipeg, police said Friday.
Heavy rainfall last weekend pushed creeks and rivers over their banks, causing the worst flooding in two decades in some parts of Winnipeg.
Alan Wood, regional vice president for the prairie provinces for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, estimated insured damage at $40 million in the city.
The city’s overflowing water mains caused sewage to flow back into about 6,000 businesses and homes, Wood said.
The mayor of Winnipeg appealed to the premier of the province for aid to cover uninsured property.
“We’re attempting to identify the extent of the damage,” said David Grant, executive assistant to the mayor.
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