Floodwaters receding in Kemptville, Ont. as basement tear-outs begin

The clean-up following last week's ice storm continues in Kemptville, where hundreds of homeowners are now gutting their flooded basements.

"In the 10 years I've been at Service Master, I've never seen anything like this," says Kacey Ferguson, a senior estimator with Service Master in Lanark County.

Ferguson says his team has received more than 500 calls for service since last week, with hundreds more households on a waiting list.

"The typical basement has had anywhere from three inches to two feet of water in it, with some having five to six feet of water in it."

At each location, drywall, carpets, flooring, baseboards, and doors are being removed and thrown away.

"The average house for emergency services [costs] probably anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000."

Even North Grenville's mayor, Nancy Peckford, fell victim to a flooded basement. The contents of her lower level are now airing out on her back deck.

"Our carpets were completely flooded," she tells CTV News.

"Our laundry room was equally so, but thankfully we were able to get the carpet up pretty quickly."

Peckford says clean-up across North Grenville is underway, with flood waters having reached every corner of her region.

"This is a low lying region with a high water table, so it's going to happen and I think the best way forward is to be prepared."

The good news for Kemptville residents with flooded basements or close to bodies of water is that the worst of the flooding appears to have passed.

"Right now, the water levels are on the decline," says Brian Stratton, manager of engineering services with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA).

"Since the water levels peaked we're now down about 40 cm," he tells CTV News.

"I do think anybody who's on the Rideau system from Beckett's Landing down towards the city of Ottawa, the worst is behind them."

The RVCA says water levels peaked Friday at the highest level they've seen in years.

Barring any significant rainfall, Stratton predicts water levels in the region will return to normal soon, with a coming April heatwave helping speed things up.

"This warm weather is really going to dry it up quickly. I expect within a week they'll be back to normal."