FRENCH RIVER, ON- High water levels have triggered a state of emergency for the municipality of French River.
The community is just under 100 kilometres north of Parry Sound.
There are no more discharges allowed from the French River dams as Ranger Bay and Dry Pine Bay are starting to see the effects from Friday’s release.
According to French River mayor Gisele Pageau, the flooding threat has been increasing since Easter, as the watershed for Nipissing-North Bay had been seening record-level water and rain. That water is now being downloaded to different rivers.
Residents are being urged to protect their homes and to remain safe. The vulnerable people are those living in Wolseley Bay, Ranger Bay and Dry Pine Bay areas.
“We have a lot of cottagers,” said Pageau. Of course, they’re not here, and people are watching over their properties to make sure they’re sandbagged, but it’s our permanent residents who may have to evacuate. Some have self-evacuated, in the Baker’s Bay area, because the water levels are just too high.”
Some of the homes in the area are expected to be declared uninhabitable in the near future, due to the amount of water they’ve taken in.
The mayor doesn’t want to see any more water released into the area as well, and believed any additional flow would be “catastrophic’.
She said the lower French River is taking a beating, due to the amount of water passing through, which resulted in the state of emergency being declared.
Volunteer groups are being set up to help fill sandbags and assist elderly residents of the area.
“It’s been quite challenging, over the last few weeks,” said Pageau.
The municipality has sandbags available 24 hours a day at Alban Community Centre and the Public Works Yard. They are also available from 9am to 5pm at the French River Visitors Centre.
Residents are also asked to be very careful when driving because some roads are submerged in water. Boaters are also asked to slow down because there could be hidden debris in the water.
Anyone who needs assistance or wants to report a hazard can contact the municipal office. The municipality is also asking people to check on their neighbours especially if they are seniors or have disabilities.
How long the flooding will remain an issue is undetermined, due to a rainy forecast.
“We’re looking for sunshine and heat, to be quite honest,” said Pageau.
Permanent residents may qualify for relief from the province once the crisis is over, while owners of secondary residences will not qualify.
A full estimate of flood damages has not been put together.