Flood Forecasting & Warning

Program Information

One of the responsibilities of SNC is to maintain a flood warning system throughout the jurisdiction to alert municipalities, media, local police, Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Natural Resources of flood threats.

The purpose of SNC's flood warning system is two-fold:

1. To provide advance notice of flood conditions to member municipalities and the public so that municipal officials and citizens can respond in a timely manner to avoid or minimize the loss of property.

2. To provide on-going updates of flood forecasts and watershed conditions during a flood event.

Flood forecasting is a provincially mandated service provided to municipalities by Conservation Authorities. South Nation Conservation maintains a network of flood forecasting stations and monitors weather and flood information in order to notify municipalities of flood advisory or flood warning situations.

Messages and Gauging Colours

Normal

Normal conditions indciates that water levels throughout the South Nation River watershed are normal.

Watershed Conditions Statement 

A Watershed Conditions Statement is a general notice of potential flooding or other conditions that pose a risk to personal safety, such as high flows, unsafe ice, and high lake levels. There are two types of Statements:

• Water Safety Statement: Indicates that high flows, melting ice or other factors could be dangerous for users such as boaters, anglers and swimmers, but flooding is not expected.

• Flood Outlook Statement: Gives early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions.

A Watershed Conditions Statement is usually issued before overbank flow occurs, before Spring break-up or any other time of year, as conditions warrant, or as a general reminder of the potential for high flows and unsafe conditions. 
 

Flood Watch

A Flood Watch is issued to notify Municipalities and other primary contacts that the potential for flooding exists within specific watercourses and municipalities. The Flood Watch will include the watershed conditions, the potential impact and a hydrometeorologic forecast. Municipalities receiving a Flood Watch should initiate a check on their municipal emergency plans.

Flood Warning

A Flood Warning with the title “ACTION” will be issued as a notice that flooding is imminent or occurring within specific watercourses and municipalities.Municipalities receiving a Flood Warning should commence the issuing of warnings to households, businesses and industries, which may be threatened.  Municipalities should be referring to their municipal emergency plans.

Flood Forecasting and Warning System

To accomplish these goals, SNC maintains a Flood Forecasting and Warning system as follows:

1. Monitoring Network and Data Collection System:

SNC, in partnership with MNR, maintains a network of stream gauges, rain gauges and snow course sites within SNC's jurisdiction. This data can be used to quantify the components of the hydrologic cycle. Monitoring can also include visual inspections of watercourses.

Visit Watershed Conditions for the most recent water levels and flows throughout the South Nation River Watershed.

2. Daily Planning Cycle:

The daily planning cycle is a series of scheduled tasks, performed daily to ensure that the flood potential can be identified in a timely manner. The Daily Planning Cycle includes the analysis of the following parameters:

• Daily calculation of the 7:00 a.m. flows;
• Daily check of forecasts for weather conditions, precipitation and temperatures; and
• Snow and ice survey data.

After the Daily Planning Cycle parameters are analyzed, SNC is able to predict the flood potential and issue the appropriate message.  SNC will make every effort to send out flood warning messages with enough lead time to allow member municipalities and the public to respond to a flood. 

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