Flooding in Elora, West Montrose, New Hamburg after 100mm rainfall

Ontario's Grand River Conservation Authority has issued flood warnings for parts of the City of Kitchener, Cambridge and North Dumfries, the Town of Grand Valley, Township of Mapleton, Township of Centre Wellington and Township of Woolwich. Brantford was also included later Friday in the flood warnings and watches.

Information on:

• Kitchener
• ​Cambridge and North Dumfries
• ​Brantford, Brant county
• Grand Valley
• Elora
• ​Harriston
• ​​St. Jacobs, West Montrose, Elmira
• New Hamburg, Ayr

Late Friday, New Hamburg was added to the list of threatened communities as the Nith River was included on the list of waterways swollen by early Friday's rain.

It comes after 100 millimetres of rain fell in the northern part of the Grand River watershed between 3 and 5 a.m. Friday.

"The heavy rainfall has resulted in a rapid rise in river levels across the northern portion of the watershed," the authority wrote in an advisory Friday.

In some areas, such as the Glasgow Street bridge in Woolwich Township and Highway 24 south in Cambridge, the floodwater flows are nearing levels not seen for over 40 years. 

• Latest weather conditions from CBC Weather

The following areas are under the flood warning:

Town of Grand Valley

According to GRCA, flows through Grand Valley peaked late Friday morning and are now receding. Flows will remain high through the weekend, the agency said, and continue into early next week.

There are multiple road closures within the Town of Grand Valley.

According to the GRCA, flooding in that area "is expected to be similar to flooding that occurred in December 2008."

Villiage of Drayton

• Part of the Village of Drayton is in a Level 3 flood area.  Water levels peaked early Friday afternoon and are receding, but GRCA reported Saturday that flows will remain high all weekend.

Elora

Flows through Elora peaked on Friday afternoon, GRCA reported on Saturday. 

Discharge from Shand Dam is reduced. As the reservoir level is brought back within normal operating range, flows will remain high GRCA said.

"Flows of this magnitude were last experienced in May 2000," the GRCA said Friday afternoon. 

"The river is crazy high," Kathy Sullivan, the co-owner of Cafe Creperie in Elora, told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo on Friday. 

"There's a GRCA buoy going down the river right now....a big, white buoy, and it's about to go over the falls. It has no choice, I guess it got loose somehow."

Sullivan said her shop is fine so far, but people on other sections of Mill Street have been bailing out their basements most of the morning. 

St. Jacobs, West Montrose, Elmira, Conestogo Golf Course

The Grand River through West Montrose peaked Friday evening, the watershed authority stated Saturday. ​

• The Three Bridges Road bridge upstream of St. Jacobs is closed, and is expected to remain closed through the weekend. 
• Glasgow Street in Conestogo is closed for the weekend. "Flows of this magnitude have not been experienced since May 1974," the GRCA said. 
• High water levels are expected to flood parts of the Conestogo Golf course. The GRCA is advising the golf course to raise the pedestrian bridges that cross the Grand River.
• No damage to buildings is expected in the Town of Elmira, though there will be flooding of the municipal park downstream of Arthur Street, said the GRCA. "Flows will be high along the Canagagigue Creek through Elmira. Arthur Street and Bolender Park are flooded," GRCA reported Friday afternoon. "Crews are on-scene to maintain the closure. Flows of this magnitude were last experienced in June 2004."
• GRCA said discharge from Conestogo Dam has been reduced, however flows will remain very high as the reservoir level is brought back within a normal operating range. 
• Woolwich Reservoir discharge has been reduced, however flows through Elmira will remain elevated as the reservoir level is brought back within a normal operating range.

Conestogo River flows are expected to peak Friday afternoon or early evening, but will stay high through the weekend.

Levels through West Montrose are expected to peak later Friday evening. 

• VIDEO: Grand River Conservation Authority video of view from West Montrose covered bridge

Canagagigue Creek levels will run high through the Town of Elmira.

City of Kitchener

The GRCA updated its flood warning information Saturday morning, stating "lows are peaking through Bridgeport and Doon Saturday morning in the 900 m3/s range."

The agency stated that the river flows would "remain extremely high through the weekend."

Bingeman Trailer Park flooded Friday.

A spokeswoman for Bingemans said it's uncommon for the park to see flooding at this time of year, "but we have moved all our campers to higher ground."

A less serious flood watch is in place for the Grand River south of Cambridge. The conservation authority said flows will be higher than usual through the rest of the weekend.

Cambridge, North Dumfries

Saturday morning the GRCA said it expected the Grand River flows through Cambridge to peak around noon, reaching the 900 m3/s range. The authority said usually in the summer, water flows at this location should be in the 15 m3/s. 

"Flows of this magnitude in the Grand River through Cambridge have not been seen since April 1975," the authority reported.

Also, sections of Highway 24 between Concession Street and Myers Road are flooded. Blair Road between Fountain and George Streets, are flooded. These sections would remain closed until Sunday, GRCA said.

Also, the Everglades Trailer Park south of Cambridge was expected to flood late Friday or early Saturday.

County of Brant, City of Brantford and Haldimand County

Flows are expected to increase through Brantford overnight on Friday and peak on Saturday afternoon, said GRCA.

• Brantford flood co-ordinators were asked to close Gilkinson Street on Saturday morning.
• Trailer park residents in Brant Park were advised to expect flooding and should be prepared to evacuate trailers in areas of the park if flooding occurs.
• Brant County and Six Nations flood co-ordinators were asked to maintain the closure of Boundary Road between Six Nations and Brant County.
• Haldimand County officials are asked to warn residents in trailer parks on the southern Grand River watershed that they may have to evacuate trailers in areas typically prone to spring flooding.