The RM of Morris and the Municipality of Emerson-Franklin has declared a Local State of Emergency following a significant last month's windstorm that caused widespread soil erosion and sent field chaff and debris into municipal ditches.
RM of Morris
Municipal officials say about 200 affected sites have been identified so far.
If the debris and erosion are not addressed, the RM says there is potential for damage to adjacent agricultural land, culverts, and roadways.
The municipality has asked the Government of Manitoba to establish a Disaster Financial Assistance program to help cover recovery costs, although no such program has been confirmed at this time.
Preliminary estimates place the cost of recovery between $1 million and $1.5 million.
The RM says council has allocated equipment to remove debris from ditches and clear culverts, with work being prioritized based on severity and risk. Contracted equipment has also been approved to support the cleanup, though completion timelines remain unknown.
Debris removed from ditches and culverts will be placed on adjacent land, and landowners will be responsible for leveling that material.
The emergency response is also putting additional pressure on municipal finances.
The RM says it is still recovering financially from the 2022 flood event, with more than $2 million still to be reimbursed by the Province.
Residents are also being advised that the reallocation of staff and equipment to the emergency response may delay previously scheduled 2026 maintenance and capital projects.
Municipality of Emerson-Franklin
The Municipality of Emerson-Franklin is also continuing a massive cleanup effort following the severe windstorm that swept across southern Manitoba in May, leaving clogged drains, buried ditches, and nearly $2 million in damage.
Reeve Dave Carlson says crews are dealing with an unprecedented amount of blow dirt deposited throughout the municipality.
Carlson says the scale of the cleanup is enormous.
"We have 109 miles of blow dirt in our ditches. We have about four miles of gravel that took on a lot of the dirt that need to be re-graveled. A lot of our drains are clogged and things like that. So far, of the 109 miles, we've cleaned out about 21 miles."
Carlson says the work is slow and labour-intensive, with both municipal crews and contractors working to clear the debris.
He notes the material left behind by the storm is difficult to remove.
"It's not like picking up clay. It's almost like picking up soup. It's really difficult to remove. It's time-consuming. We have four excavators going right now doing it, hoping for maybe a couple more."
The municipality has contracted additional equipment because the scope of the project exceeds what local resources can handle alone.
Carlson says one of the most unusual aspects of the storm was the way the wind shifted directions, spreading dirt across both sides of roads instead of piling it up in predictable locations.
"The wind wasn't prevailing from one direction. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. It's not even like one side of a road is in bad shape. It can be both sides of the road. It was a very unusual storm. It seemed to almost be like a cyclone."
Estimated costs
Current estimates put the cost of the cleanup at approximately $1.85 million, although Carlson expects the final figure could be even higher.
The municipality has applied for Disaster Financial Assistance from the province and is waiting to hear whether support will be available.
"Without it, I'm not sure exactly what works out. It's not unlike a flood year. In the opposite side of things, it's a similar type of event expense-wise."
Recent rainfall has also complicated recovery efforts, washing additional debris into culverts and drainage systems and temporarily delaying cleanup operations.
While wind erosion is a common challenge in the Red River Valley, Carlson says the volume of soil moved by this storm was unlike anything the municipality has dealt with before.
"We've dealt with blow dirt over many years. It's kind of an annual thing, but this is pretty unprecedented to have this much. It was pretty wild."
Crews are expected to resume full cleanup operations as conditions dry out, with municipal officials hopeful provincial assistance will help offset the significant costs of recovery.
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