A state of emergency remains in effect for residents in parts of the Upper Ottawa Valley after heavy rain caused severe flooding and landslides, destroying roads and forcing four homes to be evacuated over the weekend.
"Right now, we're just monitoring the situation," said Noreen Mellema, a spokesperson for McNab/Braeside Township, a small town situated between Arnprior and Renfrew, Ont.
Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and experts who specialize in slope stability and erosion were in the area to assess the situation on Monday.
Residents say the water came down hard and fast on Friday night, wiping out roads and damaging homes in no time.
"The water was coming out of the back like a river, I couldn't believe it was full with that much water, it was incredible," said one resident.
Firefighters dug trenches and stacked sandbags over the weekend to help divert water from threatened properties in hopes of avoiding further damage to homes.
Township officials say four residences at Rhoddy's Bay remain evacuated because of erosion and structural damage. Others are on stand-by, waiting to find out if they too will be forced to leave their homes.
"The land is built on clay, and they said it works like two ice cubes rubbing against each other -- it can go without any notice, so we might have to leave," said area resident Michael Assaf.
Emergency crews made house-to-house checks in Rhoddy's Bay and nearby Sand Point over the weekend, after washed-out roads cut off access to the small riverside communities. A boil-water advisory remains in effect for both communities.
Officials say the state of emergency won't be lifted until the situation is deemed safe for residents.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Vanessa Lee
