The spring melt has just begun, but preparations for potential flooding are well underway in Regina.
Officials say city crews will begin deploying sandbags and other barriers this week in areas that could be affected by heavy runoff.
“We want to be prepared for whatever comes in,” Jay O’Connor, the City of Regina’s manager of emergency management, said at a news conference Tuesday.
“We would rather have sandbags on the ground that wound up not getting wet than be scrambling to try and put them down at the last minute.”
With water levels predicted to rise about two feet higher compared to 2011, the city plans to have more than 100,000 sandbags at its disposal. Crews are also prepared to deploy up to 550 metres of temporary dikes, called HESCO barriers.
“Our plans and our preparations have involved a fair amount of buffering,” O’Connor said.
“If we think we need a four-foot sandbag wall, we’re going to put five to five-and-a-half feet to make sure we have some room to accommodate waves and any little surprises Mother Nature wants to throw at us.”
O’Connor says the weather has been cooperating at this point, with cool evening temperatures helping to slow the melt.
The city is asking residents to help keep catch basins clear of ice and debris so water can drain.
