The past few days have seen floodwaters slowly recede in southwest Manitoba, but many evacuees must continue to wait before they can return home.

A total of 80 people have been evacuated from the Riverdale municipality, after the province lost confidence that the Rivers Dam would hold while facing historically high water levels.

Manitoba’s Infrastructure Minister says engineers must first inspect the dam before the evacuation order can be lifted — but the water level is still too high for them to do the inspection.

Many surrounding municipalities have experienced extensive damage to homes, businesses, and roads.

As municipalities calculate the extent of the damage, many will be looking to the province for an official announcement on a disaster financial assistance program.