In Arborg, the Icelandic river has flowed into its banks. While it has fallen a few inches since Sunday night, some properties on the outskirts of the city are still flooded. Just outside Arborg and under a flooded street is the Riverdale Place Home, a facility that accommodates four people with disabilities. Everyone was forced to leave after several feet of flood threatened the house. “Even this morning he seemed to be stepping on it and then he came suddenly. “Obviously there was a way to go,” said Kathy Finnson, executive director of the company that manages the home. Fire crews and volunteers work hard to bag the sand and build dams to protect the home. “We value the community for the way it helped,” said Leroy Loewen of the Arborg Fire Department. “For example, we did a 10-hour shift making 10,000 sandbags, so we really appreciate the variety of community teams coming in to help.” The city of Arborg has declared a local state of emergency and so far 15 houses have been evacuated. According to emergency officials, the community is prone to flooding due to ice congestion, but not at high river levels like this. “Most of the water comes from the land, ends up in the river and goes down to the lake through Arborg and Riverton. “So you only see part of it here because it’s still in the fields, it hasn’t come to the river yet,” said Doug Anderson, public relations officer at the Northeast Interlake Emergency Measures Board. The city said the river has fallen one or two inches since Sunday afternoon, giving some hope in a stressful time. “It’s been many, many, many years – probably 30 or 40 years – since it was so high,” said Ron Johnston, the city’s deputy mayor. Arborg officials hope the emblem has already happened, but are unsure. Currently, almost any community along the Red River or other major tributary is under flood warning. The municipality said it was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst – something the people involved with the water are grateful for. “I hope we can be back in a few days and it was definitely a learning experience how quickly something like this can happen. “I’m very shocked about that,” Finnson said. According to Finnson, they have all been relocated to one of the company’s other three group homes.
