Flooding reported in several Grand River watershed communities

Several communities along the Grand River are dealing with flooding. CTV’s Jeff Pickel reports.

In many places along the Grand River and the Nith River, the snow is gone, but now a new problem has emerged: flooding.

A recent spate of warm temperatures helped to melt some of the snow that had been lingering in the area. Over the weekend, rain also fell, contributing to a growing issue along the Grand River Watershed.

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) issued flood warnings and watches for several communities.

“We are in a very dynamic situation after a relatively dry summer and fall,” Vahid Taleban, the GRCA’s director of flood operations, said. “We’ve had a very cold and snowy winter. In some parts of the watershed, specifically north, we saw snow levels and snow water levels that had not been seen since the 70s.”

One of the communities hit by flooding is Ayr.

The GRCA upgraded their Flood Warning to Zone 3 for the area as the water levels continued to climb.

Tannery Street was closed on Monday as water pooled along the roadway. It will remain closed throughout the day and will be reassessed on Tuesday.

“The water banks are flooded, but holy moly! You just don’t realize it until you’re standing and looking at it,” Lousie Russell, who is new to the area, said on Monday.

People who have been living in the community for longer have seen several floods before.

“Most of the people we spoke to, yes, this is not the first time they’ve been through level two or level three [flooding],” Jeffrey Smith, Fire Chief for the North Dumfries Township Fire Department said. “We did find some people, they’re tenants and they’re renting, this is the first time they’ve been through it.”

Smith believes the worst may be over for Ayr.

However, there is more rain expected Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a special weather statement from Environment Canada. The statement warns parts of the ground are already saturated or still partially frozen, limiting its ability to absorb the coming rainfall.