Residents prepare as major flooding expected on the lower Ottawa River

The Ottawa River may flood some streets and homes east of Pembroke starting Wednesday, according to itsmonitoring and managing body. It expects floodwaters to stay well below the historic levels reached in 2019.

The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Boardsaid in a Monday afternoon update it expects water levels along the main stem of the lower Ottawa River, from LacCoulonge to Montreal, to exceed "major flood" levels.

That's "the level at which one or several streets are beginning to flood, with several houses/buildings or neighbourhoods being affected."

Affected areas, according to anupdated flood warning fromthree Ontario conservation authorities, includeAlfred and Plantagenet, Britannia/Lac Deschnes, Chats Lake, Clarence-Rockland, Constance Bay, Cumberlandandlow-lying areas toward Montreal.

The flood warning, which is the highest level on a five-level scale, indicates that major flooding in those areas is imminent, according to theMississippi Valley, South Nation andRideau Valley conservation authorities.

It said water levels are expected to rise by the following amount over the next two to three days in these areas of concern:

• Constance Bay: 0.7 metres.
• Grandview Road andBelltown: 0.65 metres.
• Boise Village, Morin Road andLeo Lane: 1 metre.
• Rockland: 1 metre.
• Hawkesbury: 0.5 metres.

As one example, according to data from the boardthe water level at Britannia was about 59.5 metres above sea level at 5 p.m. Monday.

It's forecast to reach 60 metres Thursday, just undera metre higher than the April 20 average but70 centimetres below the all-timehigh reading there in 2019.

Residents prepare

At the Constance and Buckham's Bay Community Centre in west Ottawa, volunteers and city staff filled sandbags Tuesday.

Volunteer efforts, which started in earnest Tuesday morning, are designed to get sandbags to seniors and other vulnerable residents who live in flood-prone areas, said Heather Lucente, flood director and co-chair for West Carleton Disaster Relief.

"In past years, we've had really, really great support from all over the city, from even the province of people coming out and really helping those homeowners that are so vulnerable," she said.

Lucente estimated most of the area's at-risk properties will require 3,000 to 4,000 sandbags for protection from rising water levels.

Speaking at the community centre Tuesday, West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly said the city is preparing for 2017 levels of flooding, a year that saw "historic" floods in the region.

"We're doing everything we possibly can to prepare for that," Kelly said.

Jim Simpson, a resident on Constance Bay, is watching the water levels closely. He said he'll need sandbags four-feet high around his property.

WATCH | Rising waters in Constance Bay have swallowed his beach:

Rising waters in Constance Bay have swallowed his beach

1 year ago

Duration 0:54

Jim Simpson is preparing for water levels to keep rising as they have in recent days in Constance Bay. A tree on his property is marked with the levels from 2017 and 2019.

Coun. Theresa Kavanagh, whose Bay Ward is another area where flooding has been an issue in the past, told CBC she hasn't yetreceived any reports of flooding. Brittania village in Bay Ward was one of the areas named in the flood warning.

Kavanagh saidthe neighbourhood is better prepared this year than it has been for past floods.

"We've got a plan in terms of how to help people, and there's an element of just keeping people calm as well," she said.

WATCH | Water levels rising in Britannia area:

Water levels rising in Britannia area

1 year ago

Duration 0:45

Britannia was one of several affected areas included in an updated flood warning from three Ontario conservation authorities.

1,000 Gatineau homes could flood

Most of the water currently entering the Ottawa River comes fromareas where there are no reservoirs or nocapacity to retainwater,the warningsaid.

The association added increased snowmelt due toabove-normal snowpack and high temperatures over the coming weekendare expected to drive anincrease in water levels.

The board also notes rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Saturday.

In a news conference Monday, Gatineau MayorFranceBlislesaid city staff estimate up to 1,000 Gatineau residences could be flooded by Wednesday.

Gatineau began distributing sandbags at seven locationsMonday at 8 p.m. and will closeseveral streets across the cityin the coming days,Blislesaid.

Ottawa has sandbags available at 13 locations and has closed some pathways, saying "residents whose properties and neighbourhoods have experienced flooding in the past 20 years should expect flooding this week."