The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has extended the flood warning in the district until next Wednesday.

The Lake Nipissing water level is still rising, but by less than earlier in the week.

In their latest report (5 pm Wednesday), the Conservation Authority says lake levels remained stable.

There’s a continued slow drop in inflows.

They also say given the current Lake outflows, the Lake level is expected to rise by about 1cm a day over the next several days.

In North Bay, there still remains potential for damage to properties in low-lying areas along the Lake Nipissing shoreline and lower La Vase River especially if the winds shift.

Sand and sandbags are available at three locations from 8 am to 8 pm at Public Works on Franklin Street, Sunset Park at the end of Sunset Boulevard and Champlain Park at the end of Premier Road.

Meantime, the ministry says Ottawa River water levels near Mattawa are expected to stabilize or slowly decrease over the next several days.

With serious flooding in the area comes the necessity of having enough volunteers to provide time and services to help out their neighbours.

One volunteer in Jocko Point, Karrie Emms of The Angel Network has been busy preparing meals for the volunteers who are spending their time filling up sandbags.

She told BayToday the schools have been heavily involved.

“The students have been amazing. They’re so polite and so willing to help. The teachers have been great, the bus drivers have donated bus time. Local businesses have donated time and product including first aid kits,” she says.

Emms says the community has come together doing what they can for their neighbours.

She says this is an amazing experience watching everyone pull together following the flooding last week.

Colette McInnes says they’ve been very busy but everyone has a great attitude to help out their neighbours.

“We attack as we need to starting with the priority cases. Those include people who need assistance and then the elderly. We’re making sure people get food and water. We’re winning this war,” she says.

She says they also monitor houses to see if they’re vulnerable and the goal is to be at least a bag and a half over the water level.

McInnes says like West Nipissing the boat launches are closed.

Nipissing First Nation says 35,000 sand bags have been used on Jocko Point.

 

(photos by Chis Dawson BayToday)

Filed under: flooding, jocko-point, lake-nipissing, volunteers