Flood!
July 15th 2004
I am finally feeling human today. This cold hit me really hard. I have been spending most of my time in bed. I will be updating the books I have read as I have time.
Well, we are under a state of emergency at the moment.
We’ve had heavy rains all night, and now Peterborough is flooded. Our street is covered with mud and construction debris from the lots behind us. Downtown is under a metre of water in some places, and the roof of a senior’s home collapsed, and the roof of the Loblaws bakery fell in as well. They had to use the city buses to evacuate the senior’s residence.
People are trying to drive, stalling their cars and then the water pressure means they can’t open the car doors.
My father-in-law called half an hour ago to see how we were doing. Chris is at work, he walked as it isn’t far, and he is positioned to know what’s going on in the city. So far we have no water in the basement, but I have to watch it all day. If it starts coming in, I will be a one-woman furniture moving machine.
My father-in-law is anxious, because his street is completely flooded, and his neighbours have 4 inches of water in their basement. So far, nothing in their basement, but their sump pump is running constantly and if it burns out, they are sunk. It’s doubly bad because my brother-in-law has their basement full of his furniture and stuff because he was to move into his new house tomorrow! They are moving what they can, in case the sump fails, but I hope nothing happens.
It’s still raining. We’re supposed to get maybe another 5cm of rain today!
News report from Peterborough This Week:
Major flooding in Peterborough
Jul 15, 2004
Paul Rellinger
A deluge of rain, combined with backed-up sewers, has created major flooding in areas of Peterborough.
Particularly hard hit is the downtown core area with many businesses under water.
And the prognosis isn’t good with forecasters calling for another 25 to 50 millimetres of rain by Thursday evening.
Emergency officials have been busy responding to people trapped in their vehicles on flooded streets. Police have closed many streets. At 7 a.m., a mudslide was reported in the area of Television and Parkhill roads.
Otonabee Conservation officials are keeping a particularly close eye on the Otonabee River at Lock 19 near Lansdowne Street East. That area is prone to flooding. There’s no word on any evacuation plans but that situation is being monitored hour-to-hour.
As for structural damage, roof collapses have been reported at Extendicare and Loblaws at Lansdowne Place.
City emergency officials are urging all to stay home today until further notice.