Flood watch in effect along areas of Ottawa River until May 3

Flooding on Sand Point Road in Westmeath, Ont. April 26, 2024. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has issued a flood watch for the Pembroke, Ont. area.

In a news release on Friday, the ministry said the flood watch is in effect along areas of the Ottawa River until May 3.

“A significant multi-day rain event is forecast to begin on Saturday April 27. Landscape conditions with dormant vegetation and saturated soils have limited capacity to store additional moisture,” reads the release.

At this time, no widespread flooding is expected; however, water levels and flow in rivers and lakes is expected to increase, while flooding in areas with poor drainage is possible, reads the release.

People in the area are asked to exercise caution around rivers and streams.

The ministry will provide further updates, as it is closely monitoring the weather and developing watershed conditions.

The Township of Whitewater Region, northwest of Ottawa, said in a news release Friday that municipal staff and members of the Whitewater Region Fire Department are being trained on a sandbag filling machine Friday evening, which Renfrew County has recently acquired and will provide to the Township when necessary.

"The Township's Public Works Department is monitoring roads for flooding and potential closures. Visual observations were conducted by Township staff which have observed some low-lying areas and roads in the Township experiencing minor flooding," a news release said. "Residents who have been affected by high water and flow conditions in the past should take necessary action to protect/secure any vulnerable property in proximity to rivers and lakes and closely monitor developing conditions and regularly check for updated messages."

The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board said in a statement Friday "water levels and flows along the main stem of the Ottawa River are slightly above normal for this time of year from Mattawa down to Pembroke due to recent precipitation." 

"Flows and levels are expected to slightly increase in some locations today and tomorrow as more spring runoff is released from some reservoirs to provide additional storage in advance of rainfall anticipated for Saturday to Tuesday. Later on, levels and flows should stabilize, and may start to decline depending on the amount of rain received over the coming week," reads the statement. 

"Minor flooding in low-lying areas may occur over the next few days. Low-lying areas are those locations that regularly flood during the spring freshet period."

Flooding reached historic levels in 2017 and 2019, prompting residents in eastern Ontario and in the Ottawa River area to leave their homes.

In May 2019, communities in eastern Ontario, including Pembroke and the city of Ottawa declared a state of emergency after flooding covered homes.

The nation's capital made the declaration on April 25, 2019 which prompted assistance from the province and the Canadian Armed Forces.