TORONTO — Toronto officials say the city is ready to respond to any potential flooding as piles of snow accumulated during recent storms start to melt.
The city said crews will be deployed to inspect and clear catch basins in flood-prone areas as temperatures warm up this week. Equipment will also be ready at "strategic" locations to quickly respond to any flooding that occurs.
Snow removal operations across the city will also help reduce the volume of snow that could melt and contribute to flooding, officials said in a statement Monday.
Environment Canada is forecasting warmer weather in Toronto this week, with a high of six degrees on Monday and above-zero temperatures until Friday. There's also a risk of showers on Tuesday and Thursday.
However, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority said it doesn't expect to issue any flood watches or warnings this week as the snow and ice melt is not expected to cause river flooding.
"If weather forecast and conditions change, such as an expectation of significant rainfall that could possibly create river flooding conditions, TRCA would issue a flood message," it said in a statement.
The Credit Valley Conservation west of Toronto has issued an early notice of the potential for flooding, saying the snow melt could result in watershed runoff of up to 25 millimetres through Thursday.
"While neither significant river ice breakup nor flooding of the Credit River is expected, some areas will see increased water levels and localized minor flooding and/or river ice breakup may occur," it said in a statement, advising the public to stay away from all water courses.
The City of Toronto said last week it could take three weeks to finish trucking away the piles of snow restricting traffic and blocking sidewalks after two rounds of heavy snowfall this month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
