Province urges evacuation after rains wash out roads in Whiteshell

Storms on Friday night and early Saturday are causing concerns in the Whiteshell and has the province urging cottagers in some areas to leave or risk getting stranded by road wash outs.

• Summer storms wash out some Manitoba highways

West Hawk Lake resident Bill Benson said evening rains are "wreaking havoc" on major roads and trails in theCaddy Lake region.

Benson said he slept through most of the overnightstorm and had a rude awakening in the morning.

"Went down to the dockand one of our boats hadswamped;it was full of water and water was running everywhere," Benson said. "Where we are it's on a bit of a slope to the lake, and there were rivers of water flowing."

He shot a videothat shows torrents of rain water rushing down theMcGillivrayFalls hiking trail near Caddy Lake.

RAW: Rain causes wash out on hiking trail near Caddy Lake

8 years ago

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Bell Benson shot this video of a wash out Saturday at the start of the McGillivray Falls hiking trail near Caddy Lake.

Environment Canada said there was flooding in the West Hawk Lake area after about 136 millimetres of rainfall. There was also 104 millimetres of rain just east of Killarney.

Manitoba Sustainable Development officials said cottagers in Block 5 of Caddy Lake andBlock 9 on Provincial Road 312 should leave the area, as they predict more wash outs could be on the way.

There is also currently no road access "south of the ambulance garage" on South Shore Road in Falcon Lake, the province said.

"The road to Florence and Nora Lakes is also washed out, and the Mantario Trail is closed until further notice," the province said in a statement.

'Nature once again takes control'

In early May, it was dry conditions and forest fires that werethreatening to destroy cottages and force people to leave. Now, it's rain and wash outs, Benson said.

"Nature once again takes control!" he wrote in anemailto CBC News.

While Benson and his family areanxious, theydon't plan to leave unless things really take a turn for the worse. In the event that happens, Benson has an exit strategy in mind.

"If the road is still passableand that means travelling through some sections [that] would have probably six to 10inches of water on themif it's not eroded too badly, that would be the plan.If the road is closed, or washed out, then [we] have a boat strategy in place," Benson said.

The province has set up a hotline for cottagers and permanent residents of communities along the Manitoba-Ontario border. People in the area can call1-204-349-2201for informationbetween8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the province added.

With files fromKaterina Georgieva