(Sunday April 30th, 2023) Spring flooding update: Water levels are rising and will continue to rise until at least mid week. Based on the current forecast, they could potentially rise 10-15cm over the first peak one week ago.
Please continue to monitor levels and forecasts at the Ottawa River Regulation Plannnig Board.
If you've already made sandbag walls, please keep them up. And if you feel that your property is or could be at risk, please reach out to WestCarletonRelief.ca to request sandbags. If you have time to come and fill sandbags at the Constance Bay Community Centre tomorrow, you can also sign up through WCDR.
Even for those not on or near the river, it is important to regularly check your basement. If you are already pumping water, you can likely expect this to continue or increase due to the rain we are expecting over the coming days.
We will provide the latest daily updates here on our website. You can also contact our office at Clarke.Kelly@Ottawa.ca or connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
River Conditions Forecast
Last Update: 2023-04-30 2:58 PM Next Update: 2023-05-01 5:00 PM
Significant rainfall is expected over most of the Ottawa River basin beginning Sunday evening and continuing into Wednesday. Runoff from this rainfall will raise river levels above what was experienced last week along the main stem of the river. Principle reservoirs are being managed to reduce river flows in downstream areas. Levels in Mattawa are expected to exceed the minor flood threshold over the coming days. Levels in the Pembroke area are expected to approach the major flooding threshold over the coming days. Levels on Lake Coulonge are already above the major flooding threshold and are expected to rise higher over the coming days. Chats Lake and Lake Deschenes levels are expected to exceed their major flooding thresholds over the coming week. Flood prone areas between Ottawa/Gatineau and the Montreal area are expected to experience minor flooding. Forecasts indicate that levels in all locations along the main stem of the Ottawa River will remain below historic flood levels. For more information, read the April 28 Press Release.
Update From City's Emergency Operations Centrre (Friday April 28, 2023)
Good afternoon Mayor Sutcliffe and Members of Council,
The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) continues to monitor flood conditions closely. As with most years, we are seeing some fluctuation.
Over the course of the next few days, we are expecting water levels to increase slightly or to potentially return to those observed between April 21-23. Ontario will see precipitation over the next several days, starting Saturday in Ottawa. The effects of rainfall and snowmelt (where snowpack still exists in the North) are the key conditions being monitored.
The EOC will therefore maintain its current operational posture but we are not introducing any new measures at this time. Instead, we are continuing to:
Have Public Works Department staff conduct daily on-site assessments of flood-prone areas;
Monitor closely the information coming in from the Conservation Authorities and the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (ORRPB);
Update our website (ottawa.ca/springflooding) and the Spring Flood 2023 Facebook page (Spring Flood 2023 Facebook group);
Monitor for impacts to critical infrastructure; and,
Make sand and empty sandbags available to the community at various locations throughout the city.
Residents are advised not to remove any sandbag preparations they may have in place, at this time.
Residents with private wells that were impacted by flood water are reminded to follow Ottawa Public Health guidelines before using their wells again. This includes waiting for flood water to recede before beginning the process (Residential Flooding - Ottawa Public Health).
We will provide another update early next week.
Best regards,
Beth
Beth Gooding (she/her/elle)
Director | Directrice
Public Safety Service | Service de sécurité publique
Emergency and Protective Services | Services d'urgence et de protection