Spring flood city update for April 30

OTTAWA – The city is still expecting the Ottawa River and it tributaries to continue rising over the next several days staff announced today (April 30).

The Ottawa River is up eight centimetres over yesterday and expected to rise another 19 cm before peaking tonight or tomorrow moring.

“Based on information provided by the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board and the weather forecast from Environment Canada, the Ottawa River and tributaries are expected to continue rising over the next several days,” city staff released in a statement. “The City of Ottawa declared a state of emergency on Thursday, April 25 in response to flooding along the Ottawa River. Following the declaration, the city formally requested assistance from the Province of Ontario with management of the emergency operation. All City departments and services are fully engaged in the emergency response. Support from the Canadian Armed Forces arrived in Ottawa on Friday, April 26 and members of the military are assisting with the emergency response

 The city is coordinating an evacuation plan for residents who live where floodwater is posing an imminent threat to safety, life and property. Affected residents will be informed through a visit by city staff, who will provide specific advice to either evacuate or prepare for the possibility of evacuation.

As of Tuesday, April 30:

• 10, 242 volunteers have helped at the three sites since Friday, April 19, with 1,586 volunteers helping on Monday, April 29
• 1,175,500 sandbags have been made available to residents
• More than 700 members of the Canadian Armed Forces are providing flooding assistance relief in the Ottawa and surrounding areas
• City emergency services and Ottawa Public Health have conducted more than 629 wellness visits in all affected areas
• 21 residents have self-evacuated
• 133 Team Rubicon Canada work orders completed
• 2,201 people have joined the city’s Spring Flood 2019 Facebook page
• Water levels are expected to peak by mid-week, as forecasted by the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board

 The city encourages property owners who may be affected by flooding along the Ottawa River to register online for help. Those who do not have access to the internet can call 2-1-1 or the toll-free number at 1-877-761-9076 to register. Each residential property will initially be assessed by a Rapid Damage Assessor and response will be prioritized based on need and risk.

Residents who would like to volunteer can find more information on ottawa.ca. Updates are provided on Facebook, Twitter and ottawa.ca to keep residents informed about the changing situation.

Traffic congestion around the flood emergency sites is an impediment to City crews and emergency vehicles. Residents are asked to stay clear of the flooded areas unless they are volunteering or live in the area.

Up-to-date information on road closures caused by flooding is available on our Interactive Traffic Map. Click the “Incident” box on the left-hand side to see the closures.

Residents should visit Ottawa.ca for more information about how to prepare for floods.

Communication is key during a flood emergency. In an emergency, the city will provide important information and updates to affected residents in a variety of ways.