The 1826 Red River Flood was a devastating

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

that took place along the Red River in

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

. The flood was the largest to impact the

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

area (reaching a peak flow 40% above that of the

1997 Red River flood The Red River flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997 along the Red River of the North in Minnesota, North Dakota, and southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. The flood reached through ...

), and was exacerbated by high winds and ice jams. The flooding caused a redistribution of population in the

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

, affected the placement of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

line, and greatly influenced future disaster planning in the province.John Pritchard; George Bryce (ed.), "Third Letter; Flood of 1826," Glimpses of the Past in the Red River Settlement: From letters of Mr. John Pritchard, 1805-1836 (Middle Church, Man.: Rupert's Land Indian Industrial School Press, 1892), pgs. 18-20. Accessed 8 October 2017 http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/197/24.html

References

History of Winnipeg Floods in Canada Natural disasters in Manitoba {{Canada-hist-stub Red River floods

See also

References