Localized flooding reported in southern Saskatchewan following string of thunderstorms

CTV News

20-07-2025

Some localized flooding was reported in Eston, Sask. on July 19, 2025. (Courtesy: Verna Robinson)
A string of thunderstorms in southern Saskatchewan on Saturday led to some localized flooding in several communities, including Eston, Sask. Social media was similarly flooded by images of standing water in residential areas.
According to Brad Vrolijk, lead forecaster with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), rainfall accumulations weren't overly excessive – but the speed at which the storms moved into some areas was.
'It's not necessarily how much rain overall you get, it's how quickly you get it,' he told CTV News. 'We did also get some reports of overland flooding.'
The area east of the Cypress Hills through Shaunavon, to Assiniboia to south of Regina were all at the receiving end of the round of thunderstorms and reported the most rainfall.
Pictures from Assiniboia and Eston, Sask. show standing water in some areas. Residents could be seen wading through knee-high water – while others brought out canoes and kayaks to travel through the newly created lakes.
Eston, Sask. flooding
Some localized flooding was reported in Eston, Sask. on July 19, 2025. (Courtesy: Verna Robinson)
Thunderstorm warnings are issued when the ECCC forecasts more than 50 millimetres (mm) of precipitation in an hour. Only one location southeast of Swift Current reported receiving rainfall over the threshold - with 51.6 mm.
'Everywhere else was in-between 15 mm and 30 mm for the most part, which is pretty typical amounts for thunderstorms,' Vrolijk explained.
'Every city's' storm systems are different. So, every city has different thresholds on what rate of rainfall will result in this type of overland flooding … Apparently yesterday, those 15 to 30 mm fell quickly enough that there was some temporary overland flooding.'
According to Vrolijk, the storms developed as a result of a low-pressure system that was building over Alberta. Through Sunday and into Monday – there will be an ongoing thunderstorm risk in the south.
'We had the convection yesterday, and then we're going to have some more thunderstorms develop again, primarily south of the Trans-Canada Highway corridor today … tomorrow night, we're looking at probably another big system developing in Montana, and then pushing into southeast Saskatchewan,' he explained.
'So, kind of three days in a row with a chance for rain and thunderstorms for the region.'
As of 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a severe thunderstorm warning is active for the area surrounding Regina, Shaunavon in the southwest and a swath of the province's southeast corner including Redvers, Carievale and Elmore.