Power fails, mall floods and bike event cancelled due to Manitoba rainstorm

WINNIPEG – Thousands lost power, sewers backed up and a mall flooded when parts of Winnipeg were drenched with over 50 mm of rain.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jim Slipec says the South St. Vital district of the city got 70 mm on Saturday, followed by another 10 mm early on Sunday.

Flooding closed the cinemas at the St. Vital Shopping Centre on Saturday night.

By Sunday morning, the city had received 10 calls for raw sewage backup and 21 calls for clean sewer backup.

Some rural areas also saw baseball-sized hail.

Manitoba Hydro said 4,000 people were left without power Saturday and crews were still working to restore it in some parts of Winnipeg on Sunday.

The wet and windy weather also disrupted the annual Biking to the Viking charity ride for multiple sclerosis. Organizers worried that crosswinds off Lake Winnipeg and debris from the storm along the highway to Gimli posed a threat for participants, and shuttles were dispatched to pick up riders who were already on the route on Saturday.

Day 2 of the event on Sunday was cancelled.