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‘Light at the end of the tunnel is very far away:’ mayor of flooded Manitoba town
🇨🇦 Canada /Disasters & Emergencies

‘Light at the end of the tunnel is very far away:’ mayor of flooded Manitoba town

From Global News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Residents of Swan River, Manitoba, are awaiting floodwaters to recede after experiencing a second historic flood in a month.
  • Water levels have dropped slightly, but significant receding is still needed, leaving over 200 households displaced and dealing with grief.
  • The town faces extensive damage, including washed-out roads and infrastructure repairs that must be redone, with the mayor expressing disappointment over the slow response and need for federal assistance.

Residents in the western Manitoba town of Swan River are in a state of anxious waiting as they hope for floodwaters to recede, following a second devastating flood in just one month. While water levels have shown a slight decrease of about 30 centimeters since Wednesday's peak, Mayor Lance Jacobson stated that several meters still need to recede in some areas.

People that are flooded, they're just sitting coiled up like a spring, waiting to get what they need to get done, and dealing with the grief of all that, and that's very difficult.

— Lance JacobsonDescribing the emotional toll on displaced residents.

For the more than 200 households forced to evacuate, the current situation offers little recourse but to wait. "People that are flooded, they're just sitting coiled up like a spring, waiting to get what they need to get done, and dealing with the grief of all that, and that's very difficult," Jacobson said, expressing his own helplessness and empathy for the residents' distress.

It’s very heart-wrenching, you know, when you walk up to somebody and you see that face, and people are just on the verge of breaking down, and you feel that and you want to do the same thing yourself.

— Lance JacobsonExpressing empathy for the suffering of flood victims.

The region has been battered by heavy rains, causing widespread flooding that closed over 60 highways, including all routes to Duck Mountain Provincial Park, trapping around 200 campers. Power outages also affected the Dauphin Regional Health Centre. Unlike Dauphin, where waters receded quickly, Swan River's flat drainage and upstream water buildup mean a much longer recovery period.

We were getting close to reopening the line and, and now they are washed out and they’ve got to start all over again.

— Lance JacobsonOn the repeated damage to infrastructure like the CN Rail line.

Mayor Jacobson voiced frustration over the lack of federal government response, especially given the repeated nature of the disaster. Swan River had already been dealing with flood damage from June 8, with repairs to infrastructure like the CN Rail line nearing completion before this latest storm washed them out again. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has requested federal assistance, and discussions are reportedly ongoing, but Jacobson emphasized the long road ahead for recovery, stating, "The light at the end of the tunnel is very far away."

The light at the end of the tunnel is very far away.

— Lance JacobsonExpressing the long-term challenges of recovery.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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