State of emergency declared in Brantford due to flooding

The City of Brantford has declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing flooding crisis.

Residents in the neighbourhoods of Holmedale, Old West Brant and Eagle Place are being strongly urged to evacuate immediately.

Those who live in the areas identified in the floodplain map attached are strongly urged to evacuate. @BrantfordPolice are going door to evacuate the following streets Foster, Cayuga, Aberdeen, Strathcona, Pontiac, Tecumseh, Ontario, Port, Eagle Ave, Robertson, Denver and Baldwin pic.twitter.com/j5AkP734QT

— City of Brantford (@CityofBrantford) February 21, 2018

The Grand River Conservation Authority said an ice jam upstream of Parkhill Dam released around 2 a.m. Wednesday, sending a surge of water downstream.

Nearly 5,000 residents were evacuated from roughly 2,200 homes.

Members of the Brantford Police Service and Brantford Fire Department have been going door-to-door at homes in the affected areas to alert residents of the mandatory evacuation.

Brantford Power is warning there may be power outages throughout the day as the water levels continue to rise.

Residents requiring shelter can go to the Woodman Community Centre at 491 Grey St. in Brantford. Those requiring transportation to evacuate are encouraged to go to the following intersections where Brantford Transit buses will be available:

• Eagle Ave and Foster St.
• Baldwin and Erie Ave
• St. Paul at Spring St.
• Sherwood at Catherine St.
• Erie Ave and Aberdeen Ave

The Grand Erie School Board has closed Agnes G. Hodge, Bellview, Ecole Dufferin, Lansdowne-Costain, and Princess Elizabeth as well as the Joseph Brant Learning Centre and the Grand Erie Education Centre due to the flooding.

People are being urged to exercise extreme caution around all bodies of water. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from all watercourses and off frozen water bodies.

Blocks of ice over the retaining wall… steps away from homes @CHCHNews pic.twitter.com/JlvBxqDPpO

— Kelly Botelho (@botelhok) February 21, 2018

The following flood warnings have been issued by the Grand River Conservation Authority:

City of Cambridge
In consultation with City of Cambridge staff, the Concession Street Bridge has been closed and temporary stops logs have been installed as a precaution until ice clears out of the upstream river and the threat of further ice jams has passed.

Township of North Dumfries
The flood coordinator for North Dumfries Township has been asked to warn residents in the Everglades Trailer Park south of Cambridge.

Brant County
The flood coordinator for Brant County has been asked to warn residents in the floodplain in Glen Morris on the west bank of the Grand River. Residents in Glen Morris can expect flooding similar to that experienced in June 2017. Brant County officials are also requested to monitor the Newport Road and Boundary Road areas and implement road closures as necessary.

City of Brantford
The flood coordinator for the City of Brantford has been advised of the ice jam that has developed in the dike reach of the City of Brantford and has been asked to convene the Emergency Control Group for the City of Brantford and make plans to warn residents in the flood plain and area behind the dike as needed. The surge of water and ice from the ice jam that released in the Cambridge area is expected to reach Brantford between 7:00 am and 8:00 am. The river flow is forecast to peak through Brantford early Wednesday afternoon.