Flood prevention in your home and yard is your responsibility. If the snow melts quickly, your home may be at risk of flooding, even if you've never flooded before.

Snowmelt Video

Check out our snowmelt video for tips to help reduce your risk of a snowmelt flood in your home.

Tips to help reduce your risk of a snowmelt flood in your home:

(Some of the following tips involve snow shovelling which is heavy work. Consider doing a bit at a time and please use care and caution. Get help if you have health concerns.)

• Remove snow from around your foundation. Pay particular attention to the areas around window wells.
• Most lots drain along the outside edges. Remove snow from these areas.
• Keep the snow in your yard. Shovelling onto streets or lanes could block drains.
• Help keep catch basins clear. Where possible, safely clear snow, ice and debris from the catch basins in your area.
• Clear snow and ice from around the bottom of your downspouts and extend the downspouts at least two metres so that water drains away from your foundation.
• Check your roof and eavestroughs for excess snow. Consider hiring a professional to clear snow from your roof. A roof rake may help to clear the snow and debris from the edge of your roof.
• Consider using sandbags to block water from entering low lying areas beside your foundation.
• If water is getting close to your foundation, use an appropriate pump to drain it to the gutter or back lane. Please use all equipment properly and follow safety guidelines.

Snowmelt Frequently Asked Questions

These Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) include more information to help you prepare for spring snowmelt, and reduce the risk of a flood in your basement.

Snowmelt and Potholes

The spring freeze/thaw cycle means that potholes appear on city streets, and if they are full of water, it’s impossible to tell how deep they are. Motorists are reminded to:

• Slow down when they encounter a pothole or a pool of water, to avoid the possibility of vehicle damage and splashing pedestrians.
• Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to five yourself more time to see potholes and puddles.
• Avoid driving through puddles with straight edges as they can be covering a settled pavement cut with sharp edges which could cause vehicle damage. When pavement is cut for water or sewer repairs and permanent patching isn't possible, the temporary fill may settle in the spring, causing holes on the roadway.

Residents are encouraged to help the City locate potholes and settled pavement cuts by reporting them to Public Works Branch at 975-2476 or 975-2491.