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Canada

Manitoba floods farms to avoid 'catastrophic' breach

  • Dike breach to flood large swath of farmland

  • 3,300 people flee homes in Canadian Prairie province

  • U.S. also moves to swamp crops due swollen Mississippi

By Rod Nickel

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 14 (Reuters) - Manitoba opened its dike on the swollen Assiniboine River on Saturday, starting a slow creep of water across rich farmland to avert a potentially catastrophic, unplanned breach in the Canadian province.

Opening the dike will, over days, flood at least 225 square kilometres (55,600 acres) as well as 150 homes while taking the pressure off strained dikes.

Read full article on Alertnet.