The Grand River Conservation Authority has issued a flood warning for residents in Ayr and a flood watch for much of the Grand River watershed.
Residents of Tanner Street and Piper Street in Ayr are advised not to park vehicles in low-lying areas over the next few days.
Water levels are expected to peak in the Nith River in Ayr on Wednesday morning and remain high through the week.
Residents in the area say the warning is nothing unusual for this time of year.
“I’m kind of used to it because I’ve lived here for about five years now, and (now) have to park up here instead of down there,” says Veronica Roberts.
In other low-lying areas along the Grand, Conestogo, Nith and Speed Rivers, river levels are expected to rise through the week as runoff from other parts of the watershed flows downstream.
Along the Nith River in New Hamburg, water levels are expected to peak just below flood warning level late Tuesday afternoon.
Peak levels are expected Tuesday evening along the Grand River in Brantford, and Wednesday evening along the Grand River in Dunnville.
GRCA officials say most of the watershed received between 10 and 20 millimetres of rain Monday, which combined with snow melt to cause a sharp rise in river levels.
The high levels create the potential for ice jams, which can cause localized flooding.
