2019 floods: What you need to know on Thursday
Ottawa has temporarily closed 2 of 3 volunteer centres
Water levels are stabilizing in Ottawa-Gatineau and have peaked between Pembroke and the capital.
Revised forecasts have pushed the expected peak in Ottawa-Gatineau to Friday, which will put Britannia's berm to the test.
The predicted peaks for downtown are also now slightly lower than before, but still higher than the 2017 flood.
About 300 homes in the Constance Bay neighbourhood were evacuated Tuesday night and the city's fire chief is saying two recent fires underscore the need to leave those areas.
Although the waters are still high, the city is not currently expecting to expand the evacuation zone.
Water levels
- The Ottawa River Regulating Committee puts out a flood forecast at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.
Road closures
- The Chaudière Bridge over the Ottawa River has been closed indefinitely due to high water levels.
- A lane of westbound Highway 50 is closed because of water, causing severe headaches for Gatineau's morning commute. There have been some changes on how many lanes are available on the Draveurs bridge to try and ease delays in rush hour.
- Rising waters have closed or reduced the capacity of several streets and highways in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.
- The National Capital Commission has also closed some westbound lanes on the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
How to volunteer
The City of Ottawa has set up three volunteer centres that are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., but at least for today, only the Dunrobin Community Centre at 1151 Thomas A. Dolan Parkway is open.
These two are temporarily closed to get as many volunteers as possible to the west end:
- Cumberland Heritage Village Museum at 2940 Old Montreal Rd.
- Ron Kolbus Centre at 102 Greenview Dr. in the upper parking lot.
Volunteers must be at least 12 years old. Volunteers under 18 must be supervised by an adult or legal guardian.
If you can't sandbag there are other ways you can help.
How to donate
The City of Gatineau is opening a donation centre at Les Promenades Gatineau on boulevard Maloney Ouest starting Wednesday, to operate from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
It's looking for non-perishable food, cleaning products, personal hygiene products and clean spring and summer clothes.
The Canadian Red Cross is collecting money for flood victims.
Emergency assistance
The City of Ottawa has opened three emergency community support centres to help those affected by flooding, at the following locations:
- West Carleton-March Community Support Centre is at the Constance and Buckham's Bay Community Centre at 262 Len Purcell Dr., open 24 hours a day. The Richcraft Recreation Complex at 4101 Innovation Dr., Ottawa is also open for support.
- Bay Community Support Centre at the Pinecrest Recreation Complex's Barbara Ann Scott Arena, 2250 Torquay Ave., open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Cumberland Community Support Centre at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum at 2940 Old Montreal Rd., open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The City of Gatineau has opened two flood assistance centres where residents can register for help.
- Centre communautaire Jean-René-Monette, 89 rue Jean-René-Monette.
- Masson-Angers service centre, 57 chemin Montréal Est.
The Canadian Red Cross has set up a family reunification information line. Residents can call 1-855-797-8875 from 9 a.m. to midnight.
Sandbags
- More than one million sandbags have been filled in Ottawa so far. They're available at 25 locations across the city.
- There are 12 places in Gatineau where you can get sandbags.
Water concerns
Ottawans who get drinking water from wells should stop using it if floodwaters have covered the well or they expect their well has been contaminated.
Bottled water and hand sanitizer is available from the fire station at 341 Bayview Dr., between 12 and 7 p.m., or there are water stations at 5201 Canon Smith Dr., 274 Morris Island Dr., and the intersection of Greenland Road and Armitage Avenue, all in the west end.
Residents on the northern end of Churchill Avenue are being asked not to use their water due to strain on the sanitary sewer system.
For areas not mentioned above, check with your municipality for information.