City Expects Modest Flooding In Ottawa

While communities upstream of the city in the Ottawa Valley are preparing for flood levels at 2017 levels, the City of Ottawa says it doesn’t expect much flooding here.

This is a release from the City of Ottawa:

Sent on behalf of Kim Ayotte, General Manager, Emergency and Protective Services and Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works Department

Mayor Sutcliffe and Members of Council,

The purpose of this email is to signal a shift in the City’s posture related to flood preparedness.

The Ottawa River Regulating Committee is indicating that water levels are currently expected to remain well below historical flood levels on the main stem of the Ottawa River.  We are seeing, however, flood forecasts approaching 1 in 10-year return periods, indicating an onset of flooding slightly beyond “normal” (i.e., 1 in 2-year or 1 in 5-year events).

Why Is City So Late On Flood Warning?

At this level, the potential damage from flooding remains relatively low. By way of comparison, 2017 saw 1 in 50-year flood levels and 2019 saw 1 in 100-year levels.

The City’s preference though is to take a proactive approach so that we are able to provide residents with the information, guidance, and support they need.

CITY POSTURE

The City has escalated its posture to “Enhanced Operations” and has mobilized the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).  This means that the City’s flood preparedness and response work will shift to the Emergency and Protective Services Department, with on-going support from the Public Works Department.

In addition to residential flooding, the EOC is working with the City’s Infrastructure and Water Services Department (IWSD) to monitor for potential impacts to City critical infrastructure. At this time, IWSD is prepared to implement mitigation measures, if required, but that threshold has not been met and there are no concerns to report related to IWSD assets.

RESIDENT SUPPORTS

Please note that flood protection of private, residential properties is the responsibility of the homeowner. The City’s support work is therefore focused on information-sharing and facilitation (e.g., making sand and sandbags available).

Door Knocks: Higher flood-risk neighborhoods

As an extra measure to ensure that residents in higher flood-risk neighborhoods get the information they need, Ottawa Fire Services is conducting door-by-door visits to specific homes in Cumberland, Bay Ward, and West Carleton.

The purpose of the visits is to provide residents with flood preparedness information and locations of City sand-bagging stations, as well as to assess needs, particularly for vulnerable residents.

Sand-Bagging: resident access to supplies at City locations

The City of Ottawa continues to provide sand and sandbags to residents who live in areas prone to spring flooding. The City has more than 527,000 empty sandbags in reserve. Empty sandbags, sand and sandfilling stations are available at 19 locations across the city for residents to access. The locations are being updated regularly at ottawa.ca/springflooding.

Sand-Bagging: Pre-filled bags for pick-up (and delivery in select neighborhoods)

The City’s Public Works Department has been filling sandbags, using City equipment.

City Replaces Another Senior Manager

The City has dropped off the filled bags in specific neighborhood locations that have been more prone to flooding in the past (Willola Beach at Moorhead in Constance Bay, Loggers Way at Lighthouse Lane and the dead end at Morris Island Drive in Fitzroy Harbour). A small number of City staff will continue to assist with the filling of sandbags on Wednesday and Thursday this week for use by residents.

Volunteer Management

We know that residents want to help with sandbagging. In the immediate term, the West Carleton Disaster Relief organization is mobilizing some local support in that part of the City.

The City is also putting in place plans that could be activated on very short notice, to mobilize a broader volunteer effort as an additional escalation in posture. More information will be shared soon.

Ongoing Communications

The City will continue to share information with residents and Members of Council.

Please note that the City has noticed a broad range of flood assessments being shared by residents and organized groups on social media. In some cases, they are indicating that the flood levels will mirror those from 2019. We want to highlight here that these assessments do not match what is being shared by the Conservation Authorities. The City is continuing to monitor flood levels very closely and will provide you with accurate forecasts.

Residents can join the City of Ottawa’s Spring Flood 2023 Facebook group to access information for those affected by spring flooding or anyone who wishes to keep up to date with any developments.

Residents can also visit ottawa.ca/springflooding to get valuable information such as current conditions, any road, pathway or park closures, planning and prevention tips, and sandbag depot locations.

NEXT STEPS

We appreciate your support as we move to this new phase of the City’s flood preparedness work. It’s always a team effort and we look forward to working with you, going forward.

Kim Ayotte                                                                  Alain Gonthier

General Manager                                                      General Manager

Emergency and Protective Services                       Public Works

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