Severe flooding in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec has washed out roads and highways and prompted some communities to declare emergencies. Relatively heavy winter snow is melting in the provinces, causing rivers to swell and flood. In Saskatchewan, some communities were hit with record-high snowfall, including Regina, which had 77 inches of snow during the winter, UPI reported. "We've never ever experienced this kind of flooding," Borden Mayor David Buckingham said. Only about 25 percent of Saskatchewan's snow is estimated to have melted. In Ontario, several townships have declared states of emergency, including the Attawapiskat and Kashechewan First Nations. Kashechewan has started a partial evacuation. Manitoba lawmakers began considering legislation Wednesday to crack down on residents who do not follow evacuation orders. The Red River has been raising for a week, prompting Winnipeg to sandbag dikes in an effort to protect several homes from flooding. Several areas of Quebec are prepared to begin evacuations as melting snow swells the Ottawa and Coulonge rivers.
