Torontonians warned of flood threat as snow begins to melt
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 | 12:40 PM ET
CBC News
As snow from a particularly harsh winter starts to melt across the city, there's concern about what may happen when it all turns to water.
Ryan Ness, with the Toronto Conservation Authority, says it's too early to tell if it'll be anything more than small, localized flooding, but says people should be careful, especially since temperatures will rise to well above freezing toward the end of the week.
Highs are forecast to reach 7 C on Thursday and Friday.
"It's completely dependent, unfortunately, on where the snow is and whether or not it will block catch basins. It could pond up if there are some catch basins blocked. There will certainly be some melting this week. The City of Toronto will no doubt be monitoring the situation closely."
Ness says anybody noticing large pools of water on their street should report it to the city.
Meanwhile, authorities in Lake Simcoe are concerned about flooding in the Holland Marsh area.
The thaw in January significantly raised the water level in the lake.
The upcoming melt is a concern since it could cause ice jams, which could lead to flooding.
