No immediate flood risk for Greater Sudbury

Although the weather is expected to remain unseasonably warm this week, there is no immediate risk of flooding at low-lying areas, says the general manager of Conservation Sudbury.

Monday afternoon Conservation Sudbury listed the city's flood status and low water status as normal.

“Even though we have what appears to be a lot of snow, the water content is relatively low,” said Carl Jorgensen.

This year's snowpack, he said, is lighter than it was the same time last year, which means less water when the snow melts.

But even though the snowpack is less dense, there's no guarantee low-lying areas are safe from flooding this spring.

“That shouldn't give people a false sense of security because no matter how much snow is on the landscape, if it melts in a rapid manner you could have flooding in low-lying areas,” Jorgensen said. “If it gets really warm and rains a lot we would expect there could be some flooding issues in low-lying areas.”

Conservation Sudbury has a network of water level stations across Greater Sudbury, and Jorgensen said it is closely monitored this time of year.

If the city's flood status changes, Conservation Sudbury would update its website immediately and alert local media.

Jorgensen added people should exercise caution near lakes and rivers this time of year.

“Don't trust anything this year when it starts to get soft,” he said.