Residents along Ottawa and Coulonge rivers warned of flood risk

Residents along the eastern Ottawa River and the Coulonge River in western Quebec are being told to prepare for possible flooding starting on Monday thanks to a mix of snow melt and rain.

"Several streets, lawns and low-lying areas may be flooded," said Jason Symington, a water resources specialist at the South Nation Conservation Authority.

It has a flood watch in effect for that lower Ottawa River area from Lac Coulonge east of Pembroke, Ont., east to the Ontario-Quebec border.

A flood watch is the second-highest level on a five-level scale and means flooding is possible in specific places. The only level above it is a flood warning, when flooding is happening or about to happen.

The highest risks are currently around Cumberland in Ottawa's east end and neighbouring Rockland. 

Other places include Lac Coulonge, Chats Lake, Britannia, Pointe-Gatineau, other parts of Clarence-Rockland and Thurso, according to Symington.

He recommends that residents in those areas closely monitor the changing conditions and "stay away from water courses where the flows are high and fast."

More than minor, less than major

Water could go on secondary roads and possibly some residential streets, said Manon Lalonde, principal engineer at the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board.

Lalonde says river levels could continue to rise until the middle of next week. It is still too early to tell if more serious flooding could occur.

"Levels are expected to exceed minor flood levels in all areas along the river from Lac Coulonge down to the Montreal area starting Monday … Water levels are currently expected to remain below or close to the start of major flood thresholds," said the board's latest daily forecast on Sunday afternoon.

The board cannot predict the temperature or if there will be significant rainfall in two or three weeks, Lalonde said.

She also said the board would do everything possible to retain water in the north of the basin to avoid causing flooding.

Risk of flooding along Coulonge River

In Mansfield-et-Pontefract in Pontiac, Que., there are no reports of flooding yet, but the Coulonge River has risen and the situation could change as precipitation is expected on Monday and Tuesday.

The amount of rain that falls after the recent snow melt will be a deciding factor, the municipality's general manager Éric Rochon said in a French interview.

Rochon said he is particularly concerned that the expected high water flows in the Coulonge River will cause significant flooding.

However, Rochon said this year's situation isn't exactly the same as recent floods. He said five years ago, the Ottawa River, which the Coulonge River empties into, was considerably higher.

The municipality has started to do prevention work with residents of areas most at risk, Rochon said.

This included knocking on doors Friday and issuing public notices on the radio, Facebook and online.