Area residents are packing sandbags to prepare for flooding as rivers and lakes in the region start to crest following this winter's near-record snowfall.

The Rideau River surpassed its banks Friday, closing streets in historic Old Ottawa South. The flooding washed out parts of Belmont and Fentiman Avenue and completely submerged parts of Rideau River Drive early Friday.

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One road in Kemptville, Ont. was completely submerged with water Friday afternoon.

Hilly Lane, which is home to about 27 houses, was under water up to the knee in some places.

Residents told CTV News only about 11 of the homes are occupied on a regular basis, others are used seasonally.

Many of the homes don't have basements and as of late Friday afternoon, there were no reports of flooding.

To avoid the washed-out road, most residents have started parking their cars on a nearby street. Residents also told CTV News many of the children living in the neighbourhood are staying with friends until the water starts to recede.

"The rain is the issue at present. We expect with the amount of forecast, if we get that there will be an increase in flow," said Patrick Larson of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

Flood warning throughout the region

Conservation authorities for the Mississippi Valley have now joined the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority in issuing a flood warning.

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority is warning flooding is imminent for Dalhousie Lake, near Lanark.

Officials say water on the lake has been rising steadily and is expected to rise another 15 to 20 centimetres over the next week.

Residents can help

Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brien toured the Constance Bay area on Friday, which is also expected to flood in the next few days.

"One of the problems that is often seen even without massive flooding is sewer backups into basement. We have to make sure that the sewer network is operating," O'Brien said.

One way to help is to remove sub pumps from the sanitary system.

"If your sub pump is connected anywhere to your internal plumbing system, it is providing water to the sanitary system and it is not designed to take it this is a problem," said Michel Chevalier with the City of Ottawa.

He recommends letting the sub pump drain six feet away from the home's foundation.

Rivers on the brink

Conservation officers say the major tributaries of the Mississippi, Clyde and Fall rivers are not expected to peak for at least five days. Mississippi Lake is also expected to rise 50 to 60 centimetres over the next seven to 10 days before reaching its peak.

Meanwhile, the authority says flows on the Carp River have stabilized and water levels are expected to recede over the next few days.

With rain and warmer weather expected in the coming days, forecasters are predicting the situation will get worse before it gets better.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority says it will only terminate its flood warning when rivers and streams have crested and forecasters stop predicting significant rainfalls.