Three streets in the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood closed Friday morning after the Rideau River breached its banks, washing out parts of Belmont Avenue and Fentiman Avenue and completely submerging Rideau River Drive.

Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien says anyone looking for information about flooding or how to get sand bags can go to the city's website.
(Courtesy of Mark Fryars)

City of Ottawa work crews left a mound of sand in nearby Windsor Park for people who would like to start filling sandbags to use on their property.

Most residents haven't started sandbagging yet — but with the river expected to peak over the weekend, they should be prepared to take action, said Patrick Larson, a senior water resources technician with the Rideau River Conservation Authority.

"[The peak] is entirely dependent on how much rain and when the rain occurs," he said. "But definitely there will be some increase, possibly to what had been experienced in 1993."

In 1993, the same section of the Rideau River rose 2.4 metres above its natural level without any serious damage to property.

David Strutt spent Friday morning watching the water rise from a front-row seat at his Belmont Avenue home.

"This morning, it was just at the edge of the sidewalk and now it's up over the sidewalks," Strutt said. "So it's come up six to ten inches (15 to 25 centimetres) in the last 24 hours."

Nearby Windsor Park looked more like a mangrove forest than an Ottawa park Friday morning, as the Rideau River spilled onto the land, submerging half a tennis court.