Heavy rain prompts flood warning and watch along Grand River watershed

The Grand River Conservation Authority has issued flood warnings for New Hamburg, Ayr, Drayton and West Montrose, Ont., and aflood watch for the remaining areas of the watershed following heavy rains overnight Friday.

The area saw between 30 and 60 millimetres of rain, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) said in an alert Saturday. A phone alert was also sent to applicable areas for those who had signed up with Alert Waterloo Region.

An additional 10 to 20millimetres was expected later Saturday and with rain in the forecast Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, water levels are expected to stay high.

Flood coordinators were monitoring conditions and notifying property owners in West Montrose, New Hamburg, Ayr and Drayton, it said.

The Grand Riverruns alongside central West Montrose. The GRCAsaid it expected the area to reachFlood Warning Zone 2Saturday evening.

That meant some properties were at risk of flooding.

The Nith River runs through New Hamburg, and Ayr. New Hamburg was expected to reach Flood Warning Zone 1by Saturday evening and Ayr was expected to reach Flood Warning Zone 1 Sunday morning, said the GRCA.

That meant some properties were at risk of flooding.

The Conestogo River runs through centralDrayton, which was also under Flood Warning Zone 1 Saturday. By late afternoon water levels on the Conestogo was starting to decline, said the GRCA.

Some properties were at risk of flooding.

The flood watch, issued for the rest of the Grand River watershed, was issued due to the rain runoff.

The GRCA said flood coordinators in Cambridge are keeping a close eye on conditions and plan to close walking trails along the Speed River and the bridge on Blackbridge Road in Hespeler if waters rise too high.

People are reminded to be cautious around river banks; they may be more slippery, and water faster-moving, than usual.