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Flood disaster in Canada and US. Several communities in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan
and Manitoba have declared states of emergency due to the floods in the region. Although
conditions were easing by Sunday, April 17 in Alberta and in Saskatchewan, where colder
weather was slowing the spring thaw, an unprecedented area of the Canadian province of Manitoba
has been inundated by floods, some said to be the worst in 150 years, with two lives
lost and 20 areas declared a state of emergency.
As measures against floodwaters from ice jams, crews reinforced the banks of the Assiniboine
River, which was set to raise water levels of the Red River in downtown Winnipeg. Last
week, the rising river levels prompted more than 700 residents to evacuate to higher grounds
in Manitoba, with residents in the neighboring US state of North Dakota also evacuating from
their homes in Cass County, where officials reported three flood-related fatalities. On
Sunday, nearly 300 North Dakota National Guard personnel worked to assist communities in
preventing further flooding.
Conveying her sympathies and prayers, Supreme Master Ching Hai asked that our nearby Association
members please check with local officials or Coast Guard to see if help is needed. Saying
that financial aid is available, she also requested that they go if possible to help
the most desperate.
Our appreciation, Canadian and US officials and crews working to ensure the safety of
those in the flood-swept regions, as we also thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for her attentive
concern. With sympathies for the lives lost, we pray that such disasters may soon subside
as we work to restore balance in our ecosphere�