All patients at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre in Dauphin, Manitoba, are being airlifted to other facilities after severe flooding compromised emergency generators on Wednesday. Floodwaters overwhelmed the hospital’s loading dock and basement, where the backup power systems are housed, forcing the evacuation of 57 patients and one infant.
The patients are being sent to health centres in Brandon and other communities that can accept them. Anyone in Dauphin who needs emergency medical care should still call 9-1-1, and first responders will take them to the nearest safe facility outside the city.
The flooding began after about 115 millimetres of rain fell on the city since Sunday night, part of a record-breaking wet June that saw just over 211 millimetres of rain – the second-wettest June in Dauphin’s history. Mayor David Bosiak called it the worst flooding he has ever seen in the community, with water from the Vermillion River spilling into Vermillion Park and pushing through the city’s north end, where many basements filled with water.
The city declared a local state of emergency on July 1, 2026, one of 30 such declarations across Manitoba’s Parkland region. Premier Wab Kinew announced that the province is making $5 million available to help municipalities manage costs during the flood fight, acting as an early payment toward future disaster assistance.
With more than 50 provincial roads closed and countless local streets impassable, officials are asking residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. The province has requested federal military support for Swan River, where floodwaters threaten road access.
