2011 Red River flood facts for kids

The 2011 Red River flood was a major flood that happened along the Red River of the North. This river flows through Manitoba in Canada and North Dakota and Minnesota in the United States. The flood started in April 2011 and lasted until June 2011. It was caused by a lot of water already in the soil from the year before. This meant the ground couldn't soak up much more rain or melting snow.

People in Winnipeg were concerned that two rivers, the Assiniboine River and the Red River, might flood the city at the same time. Around April 8, about 50 homes had to be emptied. Two more homes were flooded because of a large ice jam in St. Andrews, Manitoba. This ice jam caused the river to overflow its banks.

Understanding the Flood's Impact

By April 8, three people in the United States had sadly died because of the flood. In most of Southern Manitoba, the Red River's highest water level was lower than in big floods from the past, like those in 1979 and 1950. The river's highest point in Winnipeg was measured at the James Avenue pumping station. This high level was mostly due to the 2011 Assiniboine River flood.

The Assiniboine River's High Water

The Assiniboine River near Brandon, Manitoba reached its highest level ever recorded. The 2011 Assiniboine River Flood was considered a "300-year flood." This means a flood of that size is expected to happen only once every 300 years. Even with the Assiniboine's high levels, the Red River's flood levels that year were lower than in 2009.

How Flood Controls Helped

Experts said that if special flood control systems had not been built, the water levels would have been much higher. These controls were built in the 1960s and later along the Red and Assiniboine rivers near Winnipeg. Without them, the flood in Winnipeg would have been the sixth-highest ever recorded in the city. Even higher floods happened in 1861, 2009, 1997, 1852, and 1826.