Rainfall leads to warning about ice safety, nuisance flooding

By Angus Argyle

BELLEVILLE – High rainfall recently has led to Quinte Conservation issuing a water-safety warning for the Quinte region.

Residents are being reminded to monitor their sump pumps and to clear any built-up snow or ice from storm drains, ditches and eavestroughs to minimize water pooling in low-lying areas.

“There may be some nuisance flooding of low-lying areas, but no serious flooding is expected,” Christine McClure, the water-resources manager at Quinte Conservation, said in a news release.

Meanwhile, anglers, boaters and swimmers are cautioned to stay off the ice, which may be unsafe.

Parents are reminded to keep their children off the ice, and that stream banks will be slippery and treacherous.

Dams and other water-control structures should be avoided due to strong currents, Quinte Conservation says.

Hypothermia is a concern for anyone who falls into the water, even in a ditch or small creek, it adds.