Constance Bay residents band together to fight 'heartbreaking' flooding

Volunteers packed sandbags Saturday and trucked them out to Constance Bay residents staring down what the local councillor is calling a "heartbreaking" flood situation.

• No need to declare emergency over flooding yet, City of Ottawa says
• Want to help with the flooding efforts? Here's how

"It is heartbreaking. Because to see it all blown away, nothing you can do about it — it's just like watching somebody drown, and you can't swim. It is emotional," said Coun. Eli El-Chantiry.

The City of Ottawa said Friday afternoon that about 75 properties had been affected by the heavy rains and rising floodwaters, with the majority of those properties in the west-end neighbourhood along the Ottawa River.

On Bayview Drive, one of the hardest hit streets in Constance Bay, residents waded through waist-deep water Saturday afternoon as fire crews went door to door, checking on people.

El-Chantiry told CBC News his own home "up the road" was also under more than a metre of water.

"It's so hard to see people's life savings, people's homes [lost]. On the other hand, we're thankful no one got hurt. We managed to get people out that need to be out," said El-Chantiry.

"I'm one of those people, also," he added. "We're no different from the rest of the folks here."

At the nearby community centre, Steve Nason of Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue helped coordinate the relief efforts.

"It says a lot about the community. There's been a ton of people coming out today to help out," Nason said.

"The expectation is we'll probably be here as long as we're needed."

That could be at least all weekend, as Environment Canada is predicting more rain on both Sunday and Monday. The city is currently under a rainfall warning.

On Friday, Ottawa recorded 40.4 millimetres of rainfall, breaking the record for May 5 that was set in 1985. If Ottawa gets more than 19.6 millimetres of rain Saturday, the city will also break a 65-year-old daily record set on May 6, 1952. 

Ottawa police have advised people not directly involved in the sandbagging efforts to avoid the Constance Bay area, and were out Saturday diverting non-essential traffic at the intersection of Dunrobin and Constance Bay roads.

• Ottawa-Gatineau flooding: Maps of road and path closures

The Royal Canadian Legion branch on Allbirch Road in the community is serving as an emergency centre for residents affected by the floods.