Wind warnings remain for Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipeg

High winds continued for a second day on the southern shorelines of Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg on Sunday.

Wind warnings were in place for Sunday throughout the day and evening as well as Monday for the south basin of Lake Winnipeg, the southern shore of Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis, Lake of the Woods and Dauphin Lake.

High lake wind warnings were also in effect and expected to continue through to Monday.

Meanwhile, the Assiniboine River rose slightly in Brandon after a rainstorm Saturday.

By Sunday, the water had receded, and the city is expected to remain near crest-level for about another day before waters begin to recede.

Provincial officials said the dikes are holding in the city.

East of Brandon at the Portage Diversion, Assiniboine flows remained at 47,600 cubic feet per second Sunday morning and were expected to increase throughout the day due to an impending second crest.

The second crest is anticipated Monday or Tuesday at 52,000 to 53,000 cfs.

Officials said they believe the diversion and dikes are in good condition and can manage the second crest, but water levels are being closely monitored.

Meanwhile, more than 700 evacuees remain out of their homes due to flooding, more than 500 of them from aboriginal communities.

• Aboriginal communities hit hard by Manitoba floods

Also on Sunday, officials began to lower the Red River floodway gates, and the operation will be gradually shut down.

Delta Beach keeping eye on water

Residents in Delta Beach are breathing a small sigh of relief after Saturday’s storm.

It didn’t do much damage to the area, but lingering winds are still worrying residents.

Homeowner Larry Muirhead said the area dodged a bullet this weekend, but he said fear the water will destroy cottages and homes in the area will continue through the summer and into October.

“Costs you don’t measure are the costs of worrying about it,” he said. “It’s always sort of there and that eats away at you.

Muirhead is checking his property every two hours to see how high the water is, and the rock wall on his property is already crumbling against the waves.

Meanwhile, resident Todd Campbell is fed up with provincial officials. Campbell doesn’t want to see heavy flows coming through the diversion.

In 2011, he was forced out of his home for 13 months, and was faced with more than $100,000 in damage to his property.

“Water in the basement – we lost two sheds, a boat, approximately 100 trees, driveway – the whole yard was gone,” said Campbell.

Now, he’s watching and waiting to see if it will all happen again.

“You don’t sleep. You just sit up and watch the waves and wait to see if you have to evacuate in the next 12 hours or the next 12 days,” he said. “You never know.”

Both Campbell and Muirhead want a second outlet on Lake Manitoba built as soon as possible.

“I don’t know if it’s [feeling] sick or severely pissed off. You are the dumping ground. Shut the diversion off and let’s see how much water ends up in Winnipeg!” he said.