THUNDER BAY – With between 40 millimetres and 84 millimetres of rain down in some areas surrounding Thunder Bay, the Lakehead Region Conservation Agency is continuing its flood outlook statement.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the LRCA said the precipitation, combined with snow melt, has added between 20 millimetres and 40 millimetres to area waterways.
“It is expected that area waterways will continue to rise marginally throughout the day,” the statement reads. “Additional precipitation is forecasted with another 20 millimetres possible over the next two days.”
The added water has caused the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway to divert water, which is expected to continue for the next several days.
"It's unique in the fact that it’s the latest in the year the floodway has ever diverted," said Tammy Cook, chief administrative officer with the LRCA. "Typically we see diversion during spring runoff and high water events, but it’s the latest it’s diverted in the year based on our records to date."
The LRCA says based on available records, this is the latest date the organization has issued a flood message or the floodway has diverted. The previous latest date was Nov. 7, 2008.
"We are expecting short duration, high density rain fall events to be more common in the future," Cook said. "When it comes to ice and late high flow in the fall, it seems to be more the norm these days."
Authority staff say they will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as warranted.
