A flood warning for the Otonabee River in the Peterborough region has been extended until Friday.
On Tuesday Otonabee Conservation extended the warning which was first issued on Sunday. The conservation authority says flood waters on the river continue to rise at a “significantly slowed rate.”
According to Gord Earle, flood forecasting and warning duty officer, in the 76 hours between Friday and noon Monday, the rate of the rise on the Otonabee River was approximately 1 cm per hour, on average.
In the past 24 hours, however, the rise in water levels has averaged approximately 0.5 cm per hour, he said.
Earle also noted two frazil ice jams have caused water levels to rise in the area of Cedar Bank Road as well as south of the Bensfort Road crossing.
Low-lying shoreline areas are experiencing floodwaters, including along Cedar Bank, Greenwood, Willow and Jones roads, and Michaels Crescent all in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township just south of Peterborough.
Earle said forecasted milder temperatures later this week will slow frazil ice formation, if not “eliminate it entirely.”
However, Earle says residents and businesses along the river should remain vigilant in monitoring conditions and to take action to protect themselves.
The flood warning remains in effect for Peterborough, City of Kawartha Lakes and nearby townships of Selwyn, Douro-Dummer, Asphodel-Norwood, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Cavan Monaghan and Trent Hills.
The flood warning will remain in effect until Friday at 3 p.m.