It's a race against time for emergency crews north of Winnipeg, who are battling a surging Red River as their dikes bulge at the seams.
"As soon as you lose one spot you lose the whole thing," says Keith Johnson who was helping to protect a friend's home in Petersfield. "We've got a breach around the corner that's barely holding right now. It's seeping through all along in various places."
In nearby Netley Creek the situation was even worse. Dozens of people were forced to leave their homes as area fields were flooded and roads became impassable. Around 50 homes were cut off by the rising water, which meant the RM's evacuation order was no longer voluntary.
"They're kicking everyone out," says Mike Funk, who was given an evacuation order. "They were driving up and down the road telling people they have to get out."
However, some say they're not going anywhere.
"We have everything," says Richard Mellen, who plans on staying put. "Quads, Seadoos, boats, generators, Lots of food, lots of booze."
But emergency officials say the situation could get much worse. The gates were raised on the floodway in Winnipeg Saturday, diverting water away from the city and into surrounding communities. Officials are now monitoring the situation north of Winnipeg and say they're preparing for what may come.
"You know if it [the water] came and raised what we are already at, it's basically evacuate, evacuate, evacuate," says Darcy Hardman, Emergency Coordinator for the RM of St. Andrews.
Hardman says hundreds of people have been told to prepare for another possible evacuation.
-With a report from CTV's Caroline Barghout
