Southeastern corner expected to be hardest hit by rainfall

Rain, rain, go away.

That’s what’ll be on the minds of many in southern Saskatchewan.

Rainfall warnings were still in effect Friday morning for many areas, stretching from Estevan, Carlyle and Weyburn all the way to Assiniboia and Gravelbourg.

Kyle McAulay, an operational meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said he expects the southeastern corner of the province to be the hardest hit.

“We’re looking at today around 20 to 30 millimetres of rain,” McAulay added. “There could be some pockets of even higher than that.”

The meteorologist also said people should be on the lookout for localized flooding.

“It’s definitely a possibility with all this continuous rain for a long period of time,” he added. “Get everything ready ahead of time and … keep an eye out on flood-prone areas.”

The City of Estevan echoed this sentiment by issuing a statement Thursday afternoon warning residents to make sure their sump pumps are working and eavestroughs are cleared and facing away from their homes.

“It is advised at this time that homes have 72 hours of emergency supplies,” the statement read.

However, McAulay said most people should expect to see continuous rainfall that can be heavier at times.

“(It’ll) pull out of the area early in the day Saturday,” he added.

The rainfall warnings shouldn’t be expanded to include Regina or Saskatoon, McAulay said.

“There’s a small chance Moosomin … might be included. We’re going to keep tracking the system. There’s still some uncertainty of how far this precipitation is going to push north,” he said.

More information can be found on the Environment and Climate Change Canada alerts page.