Flood watch issued in North Bay as highest snow water content recorded

With the spring melt happening quickly, the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority has issued a flood watch for the North Bay watershed.

Officials with the conservation authority told CTV News local rivers, creeks and lakes will be melting fast which could lead to water levels rising.

"The snow water quantity is at a very high level, so it is unusual to be under a flood watch," said Chitra Gowda, the conservation authority CAO.

"We're looking at the weather forecast, different sources of information and especially the water levels. We're also doing snow surveys that have told us at the North Bay Golf & Country Club, we've actually had the highest ever recorded snow water content at 238 mm and that's a very high amount."

Gowda said areas near Chippewa Creek and Lavase River are more likely to flood than other areas, while the West Ferris end of town and Callander are also more prone to flooding.

"It's important to be aware in low-lying areas," she said.

"If your home is already prone to basement flooding or you're closer to the rivers and creeks and you've had flooding in the past, definitely keep your eye open."

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Flooding season also means it's a busy time for restoration companies as roofs and basements start to leak.

"Sometimes water just coming in for no apparent reason and it's just seeping into a basement in all corners, sometimes things break, piping is old," said Maria Clarke, co-owner of Paul Davis North Bay.

"A lot of ice damming happens when you have ice melt and that becomes a lot of pressure and cracks things."

While things are busy right now and flooding continuing to May, Clarke said it's not nearly as bad as it used to be.

"The infrastructure in North Bay has really gotten so much better," she said.

"They've upgraded it, they've changed it, so a lot of areas that used to get flooding, not so much." 

Find tips here on how to stay safe if your basement floods.