Connor Lalande
Pontiac April 23, 2023
Water levels and flows along much of the main stem of the Ottawa River are forecast to stabilize over the coming days.
The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board has said that while recent rainfall on the western and northern portions of the Ottawa River basin have added additional water into the river, the volume of meltwater from the central part of the river basin is decreasing.
This combination of factors is forecast to stabilize or slightly decrease water levels and flows along the main stem of the Ottawa River from Mattawa to the Montreal area.
Municipal officials have said they will remain diligent. Mayor of Municipality of Pontiac, Roger Larose, said that the municipality knows from past flood years – notably 2017 – how quickly conditions can change and does not want to be caught off guard.
“We just want to make sure that we’re ready to go when we need to,” Larose said.
Municipality of Mansfield-et-Pontefract Mayor Sandra Amstrong said no damages to houses or cottages have been reported in her jurisdiction in the past week. “We did have to close some streets in Mansfield because water had flooded it,” Amstrong said. “That being said, no damages to houses or cottages have been reported at this time.”
The Public Health Department of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais released a statement regarding recommended preparations households in flood prone areas should take in anticipation of possible future water level rises.
Recommended precautions include preparing a home emergency kit containing necessary items to outlast a three day disruption in emergency services. The seven essential items listed in the kit include: Drinking water (six liters per person), non-perishable food (for at least three days), manual can opener, battery operated radio – spare batteries, headlamp or flashlight – spare batteries or hand cranked lamp, lighter or matches and candles, first aid kit.
