With all the rain the area has experienced of late, a flood alert was issued for the city of Waterloo by the Grand River Conservation Authority on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Alert Waterloo Region, the alert has been issued specifically for the Laurel Creek floodplain.
The alert warns residents “to take all safety precautions near flooded areas and (they) are encouraged to take any necessary measures to protect personal property.”
The GRCA also released a flood warning for the entire Grand River watershed as some areas saw as much as 60 mm of rain over the past 24 hours.
The agency also noted that there has been a heavy amount of rain over the past week and that the area is expected to see as much as 20 mm heading into Wednesday.
“Thunderstorms may further increase the amount of rainfall in localized areas,” the GRCA noted.
“Water levels and flows in rivers and streams throughout the watershed are elevated. The forecasted rain, combined with isolated thunderstorms, will increase water levels further.”
The GRCA says that heavy rain could potentially cause rivers and streams in the watershed to see their flows increase quickly and without warning.
It says that most of the area is not expected to see flooding although some may occur in low-lying areas.
The agency says that banks near the rivers are very slippery and that children and pets should be kept away from rivers, creaks and streams.