As Huntsville flooding stabilizes, evacuation recommended for Bracebridge
As the flooding in Huntsville levels off, Bracebridge is recommending that residents in the Beaumont Drive area self-evacuate.
“I think that Huntsville is through the worst of it,” Huntsville mayor Scott Aitchison told Global News on Saturday. “There’s been a couple spots that have risen and a couple spots have gone down, but overall we think we’re seeing sort of a stabilization of the overall volume.”
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As of Saturday morning, the water levels rose in Bracebridge, which has been receiving much of the floodwater from Huntsville, located about a half-hour north.
According to a press release from Bracebridge, flows have increased in the north and south branches of the Muskoka River. Environment Canada data shows that flows will continue to rise for the next 48 to 72 hours.
“I don’t know if we’re going to see it rise a lot more than it already has,” Bracebridge mayor Graydon Smith said. “How long they stay at that level and how long it takes to go down, we don’t know exactly.”
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Bracebridge is experiencing flooding levels that have exceeded those of 2013, and according to Smith, the number of people affected is likely higher than the 1,092 permanent residents and 1,020 seasonal properties that were impacted during 2013.
As of Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada said, rain is not forecast in Bracebridge and Huntsville until Wednesday.
“I think any dry day is good news at this point,” Smith said. “That’s really going to give the watershed a chance to flush some of the water out of its system.”
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In Lake Muskoka, however, the water levels are continuing to rise, Smith added.
Road closures are in place in Bracebridge and Huntsville. Bracebridge has been unable to provide an estimated time for road restoration due to increasing water levels, but Public Works is making repairs where possible and monitoring road conditions.
According to the Bracebridge release, road closures may affect emergency services’ response times to flooded locations and may limit their ability to access certain areas.
Bracebridge has also declared all water-side parks and access points closed until further notice.
Municipal water sources are not affected by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s health advisory.
Water filling stations can be accessed in Bracebridge at 336 Ecclestone Drive and at 1601 Beaumont Drive.
According to the Bracebridge release, property owners should contact their insurance providers regarding flood damage claims.
WATCH: Neighbours helping each other save their homes from flooding in Bracebridge, Ont.
The province’s Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program helps people recover costs after natural disasters. It may be activated for damage to private property if there’s a sudden and unexpected natural event, such as a flood, that causes costly and widespread damage in an area, the statement says.
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In Bracebridge, free sandbags for properties affected by flooding are available at 1206 Rosewarne Drive. Sand materials and bags are also available at the George Road boat launch overflow parking lot, the end of Maplewood Road and on Herbert Court.
In Huntsville, free sand and bags are available at 387 South Mary Lake Rd. and at 7 Burrow Pit Ln. Bags are available at 9 Ott Dr. and 40 Cairns Cres., and people can get free sand at 815 Muskoka Rd. 3 N. Bags and sand are available at 1265 Aspdin Rd.
On Wednesday, Bracebridge recommended evacuations for 1094 to 1160 Springdale Shores, Holiday Park Drive and 10 to 118 Cedar Shores.
Bracebridge and Huntsville remain in states of emergency due to flooding.
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© 2019 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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