Finally some good news: flood waters should recede soon

Water levels steady, expected to decrease as long as there isn’t any heavy rainfall

Water levels in the Ottawa River have stabilized and should begin to slowly recede in the coming days.

That was, all things considered, a needed bit of good news Monday.

It came after the river had hit historic highs, washed out homes, forced nearly 900 people to evacuate, and prompted an overwhelming response from volunteers who worked tirelessly to help sandbag and stem the tide.

Michael Sarich of the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat, an agency that monitors the river’s flow, said water levels had remained steady Monday for the first time in days after the river crested earlier in the day.

“It’s pretty stable. A few centimetres here or there, but essentially those same numbers have held all day,” Sarich said. He said residents should expect the water to slowly start receding so long as there isn’t another heavy rainfall.

“The forecast is good, so we are expecting a couple of days where it is just a few centimetres decline and then it is going to drop off at a faster rate,” Sarich said.

According to Sarich, the latest readings in Gatineau had the Ottawa River level at 45.18 metres above sea level. For comparison, the average spring peak for the river is 42.95 metres — a difference of 2.23 metres.

Sarich said residents should still expect weeks of above-normal levels after the rivers hit historic highs in many locations.

WHY SO FAST AND SO HIGH?

Snow melt contributed to high levels of river water but the real driver was precipitation, which was near-double normal levels for April before a so-far wet May, with 100 millimetres falling over the weekend alone, said Sarich.

MORE AND MORE HOMES HIT

In Gatineau, 443 buildings have now been evacuated and 794 people have been displaced, including 763 people receiving help from the Red Cross, the city said Monday.

Hydro- Québec has intentionally cut power to 243 homes as a matter of last resort, said Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin.

Mayor Watson said the City of Ottawa knows of 310 homes that have been directly affected by the flooding and 75 families have been forced from their homes.

There are 275 homes affected in West Carleton, 25 in Cumberland and 10 in Bay ward. Ottawa city manager Steve Kanellakos said it remains “too early to tell how many homes will have been completely lost to the flooding.”

The major highway connecting Ottawa and Rockland was closed Monday night due to soil erosion along the roadway from flooding, the city of Ottawa said.

Hwy. 174 was closed in both directions between Trim Road and Cameron Street due to the erosion, the city said. The highway was closed around 7:30 p.m.

The city said crews were working to repair the road as soon as possible. A city spokesperson said they were attempting to have the road reopened by morning rush hour.

Motorists are being rerouted off Hwy. 174 at both Trim Road and Cameron Street onto Old Montreal Road.

GATINEAU FEDERAL BUILDINGS REMAIN CLOSED

The Treasury Board Secretariat will keep federal government offices closed Tuesday, for a second straight day.

The government has also told public service workers who normally use an interprovincial bridge to get to work to stay home.

Public Services and Procurement Canada warned Monday it could be a few more days before work returns to normal in the nation’s capital.

SCHOOLS, DAYCARES SHUT

The West Quebec School Board also announced that schools and daycares will remain closed for a second day Tuesday. The Hull and Gatineau hospitals both cancelled elective surgery, endoscopic procedures, some outpatient clinics and some other service for 24 hours because of the floods. Hospital officials said patients involved had been contacted directly.

PREMIERS VISIT FLOOD SITES

The premiers of both Ontario and Quebec toured flood zones Monday.

Kathleen Wynne visited both Clarence-Rockland and Cumberland, stopping by a command post set up by the Ottawa fire department to meet with residents directly affected by the flood and survey the damage.

“We want to make sure that people know we’re going to continue to work with the mayors … and the municipalities in order that people have the information they need to get the support they need,” Wynne said. “Because, once the water begins to subside, there’s going to be a lot of work to recover what the water has damaged.”

“Seeing is believing,” added Mayor Jim Watson.

“This is obviously the worst flooding since the 1920s,” he said.

“A lot of people have had to evacuate their homes. And there’s going to be a tremendous personal toll on people, not just the trauma but the physical toll of people hauling sandbags . ... At the end of the day, the community has come together and it will stay together until everyone is back in their homes.”

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, meanwhile, toured Quyon and applauded the sense of solidarity, community and volunteering in the community.

Couillard was, however, asked whether the Canadian Forces were called in quickly enough, following some public criticism.

“Some people elsewhere in Quebec thought we were too fast because they didn’t see what was happening here,” he said. “But instead of pointing fingers, let’s work together to help the citizens. That’s why we’re here.”

‘LOST TO THE RIVER’

Police Chief Charles Bordeleau visited Constance Bay.

“It’s devastating for the residents, for the homeowners,” he said. “We drove through and saw the number of homes and cottages that have been lost to the river.”

The City of Ottawa, meanwhile, warned that residents on well water shouldn’t be drinking it without first having it tested.