City warns parents, homeowners of flooding dangers as rain keeps falling

The City of Ottawa is warning parents to keep their children away from wading pools in parks near the Rideau River as the region continues to get a soaking from higher-than-normal amounts of rain.

Ottawa-Gatineau is expected to seebetween 30 and 50 millimetres of rain Thursday, triggeringa rainfall warning from Environment Canada.

• Ottawa weather forecast calls for 30-50 mm of rain today

Significant rainfall can causebackups in outdoor wading pools that can't be properly drained, making them unsafe, the city said Thursday afternoon.

The city is also urging people to keep both children and pets away from open water, ditches, ravines, culverts and escarpments.

Homeowners should take precautions to limitflood damage, the city said, by ensuring that sump pumps are connected properly and that any run-off is being directed toward municipal drainage systems.

The city said it's monitoring the rainfall closely with the help of the Rideau Valley, South Nation and Mississippi Valley conservation authorities.

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