Sudbury, North Bay under flood warning as rain continues

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Snowmelt, rain trigger flood warning in northern Ontario

Flooding, showers, sun and snow: Northeastern Ontario's wild week of weather

Flood warnings issued for North Bay, Parry Sound & Manitoulin

Flood warnings, highway closures in the northeast

Northeastern Ontario faces week of rain

Heavy rain is forecast Tuesday in areas in and around Greater Sudbury and North Bay, with the Ministry of Natural Resources issuing flood warnings for both areas.

Environment Canada said 15-30 mm of rain is expected throughout the day in its yellow rainfall warning for both areas.

“The ground, already near saturation, has little ability to absorb further rainfall,” the warning said.

“Another round of rain, heavy at times, continues. The ground, already near saturation, has little ability to absorb further rainfall.

Rain is expected to continue through Tuesday morning and persist through early this afternoon over North Bay.

“Water will likely pool on roads and in low-lying areas,” Environment Canada said.

“Don’t drive through flooded roadways.”

The MNR said a flood warning is in effect for Sudbury and North Bay until April 22.

“Due to recent precipitation and warmer weather, local streams and rivers will continue to see increasing flows and sustained high-water levels,” the warning said.

“Residents are encouraged to take necessary action to secure or protect property in flood-prone or vulnerable areas. Please monitor any children or pets under your care around these hazards and supervise their activities.”

The concern is that rainfall, combined with melting snow, will cause flooding across the regions, especially in low-lying areas.

“Significant snowpack still remains in the northern sections of the major watersheds and with recent precipitation and warming weather, water levels have responded accordingly on local waterways,” the MNR said.

“While most lakes still have ice cover, large river systems are beginning to flow and have been progressively losing ice cover. Water levels are expected to remain high and fast for the next while.”

Storm sewers overwhelmed

The City of North Bay said its crews are working to address localized flooding in some areas due to spring melt and rainfall.

“Water levels in Chippewa Creek have risen above the banks in some locations, and the storm sewer system is overwhelmed in certain areas, resulting in street flooding,” the city said.

Fisher Street and Memorial Drive are currently closed. Residents are asked to avoid these areas and not to drive through flooded roads. The city will provide updates as they become available."

If you are calling to report flooding, please be patient as dispatch is currently receiving a high volume of calls and staff are prioritizing response to affected areas

A flood warning was also issued Tuesday by Conservation Sudbury, with water levels at the high end in many areas.

“A significant amount of snow remains across all area watersheds with recent surveys indicating the snowpack contains 200-240 mm of snow-water equivalent,” the authority said in its watch, which is in effect until April 16.

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority had also issued a flood warning Tuesday.

“Preliminary data indicate more than 25 mm of rain has fallen across the watershed since (April 12). Wasi River has responded significantly to last night’s rain, having risen more than 25 cm and continues to rise. Chippewa Creek has increased by more than 75 cm and is bankfull,” said Angela Mills, the authority’s flood duty officer.

“Many low-lying areas and wetlands across the watershed are still inundated and have limited capacity to absorb additional water.”

The warning will be updated April 20, officials said.

For information concerning flooding, visit Ontario.ca/floods for the latest details.

To report severe weather, send an email to [e-mail].