(North Bay April 28, 2020) The 34 mm of rain forecast over the next two days is expected to result in increased runoff, increasing public risk around area lakes and watercourses prompting the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority to issue a water safety statement for its watersheds,
“Levels on local watercourses are generally below average for this time of year and most of the snow is gone within NBMCA’s jurisdiction so flooding is not expected. Water is likely to accumulate on roadways, parking lots, and flat or low-lying areas and streambanks will be slippery,” said Kurtis Romanchuk, NBMCA Duty Officer.
Current forecasts for the North Bay-Mattawa area call for 25mm of precipitation tomorrow (Wednesday), and a further 9mm on Thursday. The high temperatures will be between 10 and 16 degrees Celsius, and lows between 3 and 6 degrees Celsius.
All residents, especially those in low-lying areas, are encouraged to monitor the conditions that are developing. Banks adjacent to rivers and creeks could become very slippery with precipitation. Parents are encouraged to keep their children and pets away from watercourses and water bodies due to cold, open flowing water.
Municipalities are encouraged to monitor shorelines and water crossings, and respond to high water levels as necessary.
A close watch on local conditions and updated forecasts and warnings from Environment Canada is also recommended. Staff at the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority will continue to monitor weather and watershed conditions and provide updates if conditions change.
The general public is advised of these messages through the www.nbmca.ca website with the flood status icon and a link to information about current conditions. NBMCA also circulates these messages to local media and social media, posting on Twitter (@theNBMCA), Instagram (nbmcainfo), and Facebook (theNBMCA).
You can also subscribe to receive automatic updates via the news page on NBMCA’s website.
The public is invited to share photos of watershed conditions on social media using #NBMCAFlood.
This message will be in effect until (or updated before) Monday, May 4, 2020. 4:00pm.
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CONTACT:
Kurtis Romanchuk, Duty Officer, 705 474-5420
Sue Buckle, Manager, Communications & Outreach, 705 474-5420