The flooding in Bracebridge will continue for several more days at levels that are outside normal margins, local mayor Graydon Smith said at a press conference Sunday as the Canadian Armed Forces deployed troops in the town.
Sixty soldiers and four 10-ton trucks from the Canadian Armed Forces have arrived or are on their way as of early Sunday afternoon.
The troops are helping with sandbags, equipment and resources to support evacuations and the town’s first responders.
“So far, today is a dry day and it’s expected that the next few days will be dry days, and we think that can give us a fighting chance of seeing water levels go down,” Smith said.
IN PHOTOS: Flooding in Bracebridge
“The north branch of the Muskoka River seems to be stabilizing today,” Smith said. “The data would suggest that it’s still flowing very, very quickly and at very high levels.
“The south branch is a little bit of a different story. It continues to rise and we’ve been told typically behaves a few days behind the other lakes in the watershed. That continues to be a concern for us.”
According to a Huntsville news release from Sunday afternoon, lake levels and river flows are expected to remain high as the most recent rain and snow melts into the watershed.
WATCH: Bracebridge mayor says lower water being seen could be relief for some areas impacted by flooding
Huntsville and Port Sydney area lakes and rivers appear to have stabilized, but residents will not start to see water levels go down until the water works its way out of the system over the next week.
Bracebridge road closures:
- Matthiasville Road, from 1044 Matthiasville Rd. to 1528 Matthiasville Rd.
- Wharf Road, from Ontario Street to Victoria Street
- Beaumont Drive/Muskoka Road 15, from Wellington Street to the end (local traffic only)
- Sherwood Forest Road, from Fraserburg Road/Muskoka Road 14 to the end
- Ann Street, from Aubrey Street to Wilson’s Falls Road
- Kelvin Grove Park, from the rowing club parking lot to the lower parking lot
- Stephenson Road 1, from River Valley Drive to Balsam Chutes Road
- Purbrook Road, from 1805 Purbrook Rd. to the end
- Fraserburg Road/Muskoka Road 14, from Colony Road to Cridiford Road
- Power Point Road, from High Falls Road/Muskoka Road 50 to the end
- Santa’s Village Road/Muskoka Road 15, from 363 Santa’s Village Rd./Muskoka Road 15 to Leslie Drive
- Cridiford Road, from 1049 Cridiford Rd. to the end
- Crockford Road, from Muskoka Beach Road/Muskoka Road 17 to the end
- Holiday Park Drive Private, from Highway 11 and Holiday Park Drive Private to 160 metres east
- River Road, from Taylor Road/Muskoka Road 42 to Wilson’s Falls Road and Ann Street
- Wilson’s Falls Road, from River Road and Ann Street to the end
Huntsville road closures:
- Szalowski Drive at Highway 60
- Hutcheson Beach Road at #51
- Ontario Road at #63
- Bayshore Boulevard at #700 to West Airport
- Cann Street at John Street to Freshco
- Ceramic Mine Road North at bridge
- Glen Acres Road at Glen Acres Road
- John Street at Manominee Street to Main Street
- North Lancelot Road at the gravel portion
- Old North Road at Silver Sands Road to Fowlers Road
- River Mill at the parking by Algonquin Outfitters
- Silver Sands Road before Silver Sands Park
- Skyhills Road at #536
- South Drive at South Drive
- Jarvies Road at #132
Bracebridge is at a point where some areas are exceeding the 72-hour emergency supply recommendation and is advising residents to call 211 with an update of their situation.
Municipal water sources are not affected by the advisory.
According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, unopened commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable source of water in an emergency.
If people do not have bottled water and are getting their water from a municipal source, the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit says people should:
- Use clean containers to collect water
- Use food-grade water store containers
- Use containers made of unbreakable materials
- Not use containers that were previously used to hold toxic chemicals
- Not store filled water bottles on the floor to prevent contamination from floodwaters
Water filling stations can be accessed in Bracebridge at 336 Ecclestone Dr. and at 1601 Beaumont Dr.
In Bracebridge, free sandbags for properties affected by flooding are available at 1206 Rosewarne Dr. Sand materials and bags are also available at the George Road boat launch overflow parking lot, on 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 40 Cairns Cres., and people can get free sand at 815 Muskoka Rd. 3 N. Bags and sand are available at 1265 Aspdin Rd.
WATCH: Flooding in Bracebridge ‘well past’ 2013 levels, mayor says
Bracebridge and Huntsville remain in states of emergency due to flooding.
WATCH: Bracebridge’s mayor tells off people for boating, jet skiing on river
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