Flood warnings issued for West Montrose, Drayton, New Hamburg, and Ayr
The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) has issued flood warnings to four communities along the Grand River watershed.
On Saturday, the agency issued the warnings as it indicates river flows have reached Flood Warning Zone 1 in Drayton, West Montrose, Ayr, and New Hamburg.
GRCA describes "Flood Warning Zone 1" as an indication the river level is exceeding the bank limits and will begin to create nuisance flooding or impacts to properties. More resources and information for those affected by the flooding can be found online.
The Township of North Dumfries says the former Bowling Green is now underwater and that crews have closed off Tannery Street in Ayr at the Northumberland Street and Stanley Street entry points.
Municipal flood coordinators in the areas will be contacting affected property owners.
A flood watch has been issued for the rest of the Grand River watershed. The GRCA says the bridge on Blackbridge Road and low-lying trails near Speed River in Cambridge should be monitored.
The City of Cambridge adds that the front entrance of Riverside Park, Lower Linear Trai, and Mill Run Trail access points are all closed due to flooding.
The agency says banks next to waterways are very slippery and pose a serious hazard combined with cold, fast-moving water. Parents are being reminded to keep children and pets away from all water bodies.
Around 30 to 60 millimeters of rain fell along the watershed Friday, according to the GRCA, and around five to 10 millimeters is expected Saturday afternoon.
The flood warnings and watch will remain in effect until April 6.
ALERT CONFUSION
Saturday morning also saw an emergency flood alert issued through the Alert Waterloo Region system, which created some confusion for impacted areas.
“I’m not sure what happened when the Alert Waterloo Region sent out,” said Lisa Stocco, manager of strategic communications with GRCA. “There appears to be some confusion, and we will be following up on that next week.”
The alert didn’t specify the flood warning issued by the GRCA was specific to West Montrose and a flood watch was issued for the remainder of the Grand River watershed.
The flood warning for Drayton was issued later in the morning.
With reporting from CTV Kitchener's Tegan Versolatto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prison service to review decision to transfer killer Bernardo to medium security
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.

Poilievre threatens to filibuster budget bill if Liberals don't meet demands
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
About ducking time: Apple to tweak iPhone autocorrect function
One of the most notable happenings at Apple's event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker's tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to 'ducking.'
Small-brained ancient human cousins may have buried their dead, according to a surprising study
An ancient human cousin may have buried its dead and carved symbols into cave walls, surprising findings for a creature with a small brain.
Facing evacuations due to a forest fire or flood? Here’s what to pack in a grab-and-go bag
While some natural disasters or bouts of extreme weather may require sheltering in place until authorities can restore power to the area, others require residents to evacuate quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours — and if you want to be prepared, you should create a grab-and-go bag.
Poor air quality, evacuations in multiple provinces due to wildfires
Wildfire smoke prompted warnings about poor air quality for many regions across the country, stretching from northern Alberta to the Atlantic.
Data shows COVID-19 hospitalizations, severe outcomes continue to decline, but we must remain vigilant: experts
Wastewater testing, hospitalization and death data from COVID-19 tell us the virus' spread continue to trend downward in Canada. But we're not at the end, and public health experts say we must heed lessons learned from the pandemic and remain vigilant. Read the analysis on CTVNews.ca.
Apple unveils sleek 'Vision Pro' goggles. Will it be what VR has been looking for?
Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumoured headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination
The Fugees reunite for what may be their last performance
Lauryn Hill brought Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel on stage over the weekend to surprise attendees of the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia and it may be the last time fans see them together.