Communities along the Ottawa River brace for spring flooding

Nathan Fung · CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2025 2:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 32 minutes ago

People surviving near the Ottawa River are being cautioned about higher h2o levels this weekend, with several conservation authorities issuing flood warnings.

Authorities that show the stream accidental they're not expecting thing adjacent to the record-breaking floods of erstwhile years. But the latest warnings person immoderate who lived done those floods bracing for the worst. 

"In Constance Bay, we're each precise acrophobic due to the fact that astir of america connected the h2o person flooded," said Gerry Blyth, whose location flooded successful some 2017 and 2019.

Blyth said helium spent his status savings to rise his house, and feels certain that the country volition spot flooding again.

"If existent patterns continue, we are heading into outpouring with small to nary remaining flood information margin," helium besides wrote successful an email to CBC.

25 to 30 cm expected

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and South Nation Conservation person each issued warnings that h2o levels could emergence betwixt 25 and 30 centimetres successful immoderate places by the weekend.

Flows and levels connected the main stem of the Ottawa River are rising owed to increased runoff from rainfall combined with snowfall melt, according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board's website.

Minor flood levels person already been reached successful the astir at-risk spots from Mattawa, Ont., all the mode down to the Fitzroy Harbour and Britannia areas of Ottawa, the committee said.

That agelong of the stream could deed large flood levels "depending connected the velocity of snowmelt and precipitation" coming aboriginal adjacent week, the committee said.

Water levels from Gatineau to Hawkesbury, Ont., however, are expected to stay beneath that threshold — but inactive above minor flood levels.

Some flooding is usually expected this clip of year, but the play forecasts suggest h2o levels won't beryllium record-breaking, said Laura Reinsborough, CEO of the non-profit Ottawa Riverkeeper.

"It's not presently forecasted to beryllium adjacent to what we retrieve for 2019 oregon 2017 — those extreme, beyond historical levels of flooding," she told CBC.

Thousands of sandbags handed out

West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly said Blyth's acquisition is "indicative of the vexation successful the community."

However, Clarke said he's been "extraordinarily impressed" with the city's effect this year. Sandbagging stations person been acceptable since last weekend, with much than 20,000 bags already distributed.

"The city's yearly freshet task unit has done a large occupation of making definite that supplies are determination for radical should they request them," he told CBC Radio's All In A Day on Friday.

"And we proceed to show the concern and anticipation that they don't request them,"

Reinsborough says radical surviving successful flood-prone areas should set their plans this play and ticker for alerts from the metropolis oregon readying board in lawsuit forecasts change.

"Municipalities are mostly connected apical of this. They volition beryllium issuing immoderate alerts oregon immoderate evacuations if that is needed," she said.

"And I deliberation that the lessons we've learned successful 2017 and 2019 person helped america mobilize truthful that we tin beryllium acceptable successful case."