The
Red River flood that occurred in Winnipeg in 1997 was a gigantic one. The only
severe flood that came close to this was the one that occurred in 1826. It came
along as a result of extreme temperatures that followed a snow spell being
experienced in the area. Water levels in the river were too high to be
contained by the existing structures, as the snow was melting rapidly. It is
believed that the flood had resulted to over $500 million in terms of damages.
On most occasions, flood mitigation programs are devised once a large flood
event has occurred
(Coppola, 2010).
Response
The response once the flood broke
out was recommendable. The United States and Canada governments coupled with
other organizations took the initiative to rescue the individuals that were
involved in the process. This was through evacuations of individual that seemed
to have been affected by the floods in any way. An estimated number of people
from 3,000 homes were evacuated
(Stoffel, 2010). There were no incidents reported since
the process went along smoothly. Evacuees from the rural areas were also being
received in the city since the area was protected by strong primary dikes. Several centers were established where the
people were brought together for efficiency of the operation. There was medical
assistance to those that had sustained injuries during the process. Residents
that had suffered from other illness due to this occurrence were also being
treated. Property on areas that were yet to be hit by the floods was being
salvaged. This was a precautionary measure. However, people that were
conducting the evacuation process sited that access to homes was not easy.
There were a lot of impediments along the way. The process consumed a lot of
resources that included equipments and people. More than 3,000 city workers
were involved in the process of fighting the floods. Sand bagger machines were
also used to fill millions of sand bags. Each machine had the ability of
filling 50,000 bags every day (Stoffel,
2010).
As a part of the response, military
personals were deployed to aid in any manual work that was required. There was
also need for security since people’s properties needed to be protected from
looting and other malpractices. Several dykes were set up temporarily to help
drain the area. This water was being drained in other rivers that had the
ability of holding enormous quantity. Some temporary reservoirs had to be
created for this purpose.
Recovery
Individuals that were affected by
these floods received various donations. The donations came from government
bodies and the public at large. The governments step up in re-constructing
strategic features that were destroyed during the floods. This would help
people go back to their normal lives having something that they can work with.
It was proposed that some of the buildings that were destroyed would not be set
up again. The building affected were the once close to the river banks. The
government opted to develop a park, campground recreational and shopping
districts. Individuals affected by this occurrence were settled in other areas
that were deemed safe. Putting up these structures in the area would reduce the
extent of damage once another flood occurred in the future.
The masses in the area were also
educated on various aspects regarding floods. This included the measures that
should be taken once such an event occurs again in future. Staying in panic
mode was one of the things discouraged through the process. It was believed
that panic would hamper in the recovery process on such an incidence. This is
because it would deter people from being involved in the process due to metal
fragility. Counseling was also offered to families that suffered losses during
the period. Losing one’s property instantly might come along with mental stress.
Accumulation of the stress would result to prolonged depression. Counseling
offered helped put the victims in good condition to help avoid further damage
to their social life.
Mitigations
After the floods were under control,
several plans and arrangements were made. These arrangements were aimed at
preventing future occurrence of such a scenario. City of Winnipeg has always
been the principal beneficiary of the flood control systems. Before the floods
of 1997, there was the development of three projects that included Red River
Floodway, Portage Diversion, and Shellmouth Reservoir. After the floods of 1997, the floodway had to
be expanded at all costs as a mitigation strategy. It is an artificial waterway
for controlling floods in the area. It entails a channel that is 47 km long. On
occasions when the Red River water levels rise, the waterway takes part of this
water and makes it flow around Winnipeg. The water is then taken back to Red
River. As a result, the water levels in the river remain as low as possible
hence minimizing its chances of breaking the banks. Flow of water into the
Floodway is controlled by gates that are 112 feet in width (each). Another
strategy that was devised after the 1997 floods was to enlarge the hydraulic
openings of the floodway. When the openings are larger, more water is taken in
at a high rate hence reducing the water levels significantly. Leaving the
openings at the state that they were before the floods took place would have
been disastrous in itself (Stoffel,
2010).
Raising the primary dikes was
another mitigation strategy that was undertaken. Over the years, several dikes
had been constructed based on the outcomes that have been there before. There
were lamentations that several dikes that existed before were extremely low and
would not withstand high intensity flooding. Some temporary dikes that were
created as a rapid response measure were made permanent. This was based on the
effectiveness that they provided when fighting with the flood catastrophe.
Floodway bridges have also been raised significantly. Raising the bridges would
increase the holding capacity of the floodway. Low bridges would also work as
the water’s breaking point. Both strategies were integrated due to their
efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Construction of dams also took place
in areas that were highly affected by the floods. The dams created were of
large capacity based on the purpose of construction. These dams would act as
reservoirs if the levels of water in Red River went extremely high. The aspect
would minimize the chances of flooding since excess water would be discharged
in the dams instead of breaking into the mainland. The approach was very cost
effective. However, at the beginning residents were objective to the
development of dams. This happened in areas where the floods had caused severe
damage. According to them, they thought that the dams would accelerate the
effect if such instances occurred in the future. Several meetings were
conducted to help educate the residents of the importance of these structures. With
substantial knowledge of what was at stake, agreements were later made.
The general infrastructure of
Winnipeg has been improved significantly. During the evacuation mission of
1997, there were many complaints from the people conducting these processes. As
a result, the body relevant to planning has made several improvements.
Accessibility to homes has been made easy. The housing structures have improved
significantly. Residents in the area are willing to establish reasonable
spacing between their houses. In case of any eventuality, the rescue mission
would be fast and safe. Even when there are structures all over, the pathways
and roads are not completely blocked. Such aspects ensure that there are no
casualties when a calamity strikes (Coppola, 2010).
Flood-forecasters and city officials
in the area have also been put up to the task. During the1997 floods, they were
criticized for the differences in estimates of the flood levels and what
actually transpired. The dikes established from sand bags were based on where
the water levels had reached. The residents’ mitigation strategy of putting up
dikes was not effective due to the wrong estimates made the relevant bodies.
There has been recruitment of efficient personnel to deal with these events.
The equipments being used have also been replaced for accuracy purposes. Making
inappropriate estimates would be very costly if the expected event occurs.
References
Coppola, D. P. (2010). Introduction to international disaster
management (2nd ed.). Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Stoffel, M. (2010). Tree rings
and natural hazards a state-of-the-art. Dordrecht: Springer.
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