Gatineau braces for possible flooding with more rain expected over the weekend

Students from École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge prepare sandbags in preparation for potential flooding in Fort-Coulonge in western Quebec. (Patrick Foucault/Radio-Canada - image credit)The City of Gatineau is getting ready to deal with its fourth major flood in less than a decade, warning that water levels are continuing to rise and could reach 2023 flood levels by Sunday.

In a Friday update, the city said it has recorded an 11- to 14-centimetre rise in the Ottawa River's water levels, and a seven- to eight-centimetre rise in the Gatineau River. Its projections estimate some 33 roads and 119 buildings may be affected by water.

Additionally, Environment Canada has put out a special weather statement for 10 to 20 millimetres of rain for most of eastern Ontario Saturday and Sunday.

"The ground, already near saturation, has a limited capacity to absorb this rainfall," the agency said.

On Friday, the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board said major flood levels from Fort-Coulonge, Que., to Carillon, Que., may be exceeded over the next few days depending on weather.

It adds that levels are expected to plateau or slowly decline depending on weather over the next two weeks.

Tom Al, a professor of earth and environmental science at the University of Ottawa, said one factor in the rising water levels is that many parts of the Ottawa River catchment ground is still frozen, hindering its ability to absorb rainfall from the past week.

"That storage is really key at a time like this and and given all the water that we've had in the form of rain, there really isn't much storage capacity left, that's the problem," he said.

Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said earlier this week flood levels were expected to be the same as last year: practically non-existent. But that's changed in the past few days.

"Firefighters will be going door-to-door leaving information to residents, even if they're not at home at the time that they visit the house, to make sure that they do have the information and they get ready for what we anticipate will be coming," she said.

Gatineau officials said staff gave out about 2,000 sandbags Friday morning. It added a new sandbag pick up location at the Saint-Jean-De Brébeuf community centre. It now has a total of four pick up locations, after opening up distribution spots Thursday.

The city is also continuing to monitor at-risk roads in several sectors.