Flood watch issued for Nith River and lower Grand River

Our brief break from the snow and rain will end on Friday. CTV's Ashley Bacon explains why.

Anyone living along the Nith River or the lower Grand River is being urged to prepare for potential flooding.

On Thursday, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) issued a flood watch as several fast-moving low-pressure systems are expected to bring warm weather and rain on Thursday.

Another system, likely hitting the same areas on Friday, could drop an additional 10 to 15 mm of rain. Then, on Saturday, forecasters are predicting a wintry mix of ice pellets and snow.

All that precipitation, coupled with the warm weather, could cause flooding problems along the watershed.

“The snowpack throughout the watershed is at or above normal for this time of year. Recent GRCA snow measurements captured 30 to 80 mm of equivalent water content,” the notice read.

New Hamburg and Ayr are under a flood watch and people in the area should expect runoff from the snowmelt and rain.

There is also the risk of an ice jam as ice breaks up and flows downriver.

Meanwhile, a flood watch is still in effect for Brantford and another flood watch has been issued for Brant County, Six Nations, Cayuga, Caledonia and Dunnville.

“Due to river ice, Grand River water levels through Brantford remain elevated,” the GRCA notice said. “There is a continued risk of ice jam formation leading to a rise in water levels throughout the lower Grand River as ice breaks up and moves through the system following the warm weather on Thursday, January 8, and Friday, January 9.”

People who have lived in the Brantford area for some time will likely remember a devastating 2018 flood that was caused by a rapid thaw coupled with a significant ice jam. Thousands of people were forced out of their homes and the city issued a state of emergency.