FLOODING PREPAREDNESS

At the City Council meeting on March 25, Council received an update from senior city staff on preparedness in the event of flooding this spring:

• Pre-flood preparations are underway with a communication plan being developed. Public messaging has begun and community outreach plans are being developed
• The City is receiving regular updates from Conservation Authorities and the Ottawa River Regulation Board
• Current snowpack conditions are normal to lower than normal for this time of year
• Principle reservoirs have capacity to manage spring runoff
• There’s a slight rise in water flows due to the slow and ongoing melt
• The two-week outlook on the weather forecast is favourable
• The City has a current inventory ready for use:
• Over 200,000 filled sandbags
• 387,000 unfilled sandbags
• 21,000 tons of reclaimed sand from 2019 flood event