Tips to prevent flooding in Winnipeg as soggy spring season approaches

While colder weather is expected for a few more weeks in Winnipeg, a home maintenance expert says it’s not too early for residents to prepare their homes for the soggy spring season ahead.

“You want to move the snow away from your house for sure, try to get any ice melted that’s there,” said Tammy Klos, a board member at Pollock’s Hardware Co-op.

Klos says while the best time to take preventative measures – like ensuring land slopes away from the property – are done during the warmer seasons, people can use this time to address things like rooftop ice buildup.

“Ice dams are a really bad problem at this time of year, so to try and prevent those, you want to roof rake if you can – get the snow off your roofs,” she said.

Klos says it’s also the perfect time to make sure backup and safety systems are in place to protect homes against flooding – and that they’re working properly.

“If you don’t have a sump-pump and you’re getting water leakage into your basement, think about that, but always make sure that it’s running and up to snuff and ready to go,” added Klos.

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MANITOBA 2022 FLOODS:

• Manitoba spring floods rank 3rd on Environment Canada’s top weather stories of year
• Community cut off after flooding washes out roads in western Manitoba
• Manitoba expands evacuation and closures in provincial park due to flooding
• Manitoba plans crackdown after some drivers ignore warnings about flooded roads

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Last year Winnipeg was hit with a late spring blizzard, but Environment Canada says at this time all is calm on the extreme weather front.

“We’re not looking at any major storm systems for the next little while,” said Brad Vrolijk, a lead forecaster with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “We might see the odd little bit of snow here and there, but no major weather systems are on the horizon right now.”

The Government of Manitoba indicated spring flooding risk is currently “low to moderate” in its most recent spring flood outlook, saying weather is a main factor.

Vrolijk says it remains important to take heed of Environment Canada’s weather warnings and watches even now, as storms can often happen “on the shoulders” of the season.

“The potential is certainly there in the coming weeks that we might see something, it’s certainly important to keep a heads up on that, but right now, it’s looking fortunately quiet,” he said.