Flood evacuees from Peguis First Nation arrive in Winnipeg

Hundreds of evacuees from Peguis First Nation have arrived in Winnipeg after fleeing their flooded community.

Local officials issued a mandatory evacuation order on Sunday, as the river washed out roads and breached dikes, like the one protecting Karen Courchene Parisian's home.

Courchene Parisian's house is on the main highway and a fair distance from the river, but on Saturday morning, she woke up to water in the house after her sump pump stopped working.

With help from the community flood centre, the pump was fixed and sandbaggers had built a dike around the house.

But when the wind shifted last night, the river started flowing over the highway and into her house. The water reached the top of the stairs on the lower level.

WATCH | People forced out of flooded Peguis First Nation arrive in Winnipeg:

She had no time to pack, and had to leave one of her dogs, Diesel, behind. He wouldn't get in the car, and the roads were being washed out quickly.

"Am I going to be homeless? That's an unknown right now," Courchene Parisian said.

"It's devastating. It's a loss right? It's just a very difficult time."

She's staying at a Winnipeg hotel for now, with her children and grandchildren, unsure of when she'll be able to return home.

At the Hilton hotel in Winnipeg, the Red Cross has set up a command centre for evacuees to coordinate hotels and meals.

Cheryl Spence arrived in Winnipeg around midnight on Monday. 

"It was quite stressful with two truckloads and our seven kids," Spence said.

One of her kids just finished cancer treatment in the city, and because she's vulnerable to getting sick, the family couldn't evacuate via public transport.