By Staff
May 4th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There are parts of Burlington that are acutely aware of what a rainstorm can do.
It was in August 2014 that the eastern and central parts of the city experienced a massive amount of rain in a very short period of time
Conservation Halton is on a flood watch.
The Conservation Authority has advised people that Environment Canada is projecting rain of between 40 and 70 mm of rain from this afternoon through to late Saturday. They have moved their warning graphic to a orange state from a yellow state.
The watershed has received approximately 50mm of precipitation from the rain events earlier this week and soils are saturated. The majority of the watershed creeks are currently running below bank full conditions, and levels are anticipated to rise this evening and overnight.
The picture is worth 1000 words.
With the forecasted rainfall, widespread flooding is not anticipated, however fast flowing water and flooding of low lying areas and natural floodplains is expected. Municipalities, emergency services and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should be on alert. Regular inspection and removal of debris at culverts and drainage inlets is recommended.
There was more water than the creeks and ravines could handle. The policy of not clearing fallen tree limbs meant the rush of water turned larger piece of wood into battering rams. More than 1000 homes were seriously flooded in 2014.
With the current high water levels on Lake Ontario, there is a greater potential for erosion and shoreline flooding particularly during periods of high winds and wave action.
All watercourses and shoreline areas should be considered dangerous during this time. Conservation Halton is asking all residents to stay away from watercourses, shorelines and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and slippery conditions along stream banks and shorelines make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Having taken a walk through the green areas in North Burlington forests and farmland it would appear they also had a great deal of flooding issues. No large scale development there???
Right you are Greg. And the mobility hubs will only exacerbate an already significant problem.
Unlike Oakville, Burlington hasn’t had the kind of substantive upgrades to its wastewater treatment facilities. Drive anywhere in Oakville right now (e.g. Coronation Park, Fourth Line, Britannia Road, etc.) and you will see wastewater upgrades. This point was brought up repeatedly in public meetings in 2014 and 2015 by groups formed after the August 4th, 2014 flood. How soon we forget.
For a Mayor with a Green Agenda who purportedly is so concerned about the environment, sustainability, etc. Rick Goldring displays a shocking naivete and a serious inability to “connect the dots” between intensification, flooding and the negative impact upon neighbourhoods and citizens’ well-being. He might want to review this article from a couple of years ago as a cautionary reminder:
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5146479-meeting-on-proposed-highrises-at-appleby-mall-draws-hundreds-of-burlington-residents/
This is one of the reasons I’m opposed to Burlington’s current fetish with over building. Those “under utilized” areas of large trees and open grass absorb a tremendous amount of water.
When a flood does happen the city just acts like “no way we could have managed this unexpected rain fall” and passes the buck onto home owners.
When of course every over building decision added to the level and damage of the flood. However the current city hall seems of care nothing for this type of damage – just shoving more people into Burlington at any cost.