• About Us
    • Vision / Mission Statement
    • About the LTVCA
    • Budget and Financial Statements
    • Board Meeting Packages and Minutes
    • Employment
    • Public Events have been cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
    • FAQ’s
    • Volunteers
    • Fees & Publications
    • What’s New?
    • Public Social Media Policy
  • Planning & Regs
    • Plan Input and Review
    • Regulations
  • Water Management
    • Flood Forecasting and Warning
    • LTVCA’s Flood Control Program
    • Water Control Structures
    • The History of Flooding
    • Flood Notices
    • Flood Notice Types
    • Water Levels
  • Education Programs
    • Education Field Trip Programs
    • Non-School Group Programs
  • Conservation Areas
    • 2021 Parking Pass
    • Conservation Area Day Use & Camping Fees
    • Camping
    • Longwoods Road Conservation Area / Ska-Nah-Doht Village & Museum
      • Trail Features and Challenges
    • Big Bend Conservation Area
    • C.M. Wilson Conservation Area
    • E.M. Warwick Conservation Area
    • All Conservation Areas
  • Conservation Services
    • Tree Planting
    • Grants for Landowners
    • Feature Partnerships & Restoration Projects
    • Soil Health
    • Pollinator Habitats
    • Species at Risk
    • Invasive Species
    • McGregor and Jeannettes Creek Phosphorus Reduction Program
  • Foundation
    • About the LTVC Foundation
    • Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail
    • Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation Bursary
    • Save the Cabins
    • Memorial Forest Program
    • Fund-Raiser
    • Donate to Conservation
    • Volunteer Directors and Members
    • Ontario Trillium Foundation Capital Grant for Wheelchair Accessible Boardwalk Replacement at Longwoods Road CA
    • Trillium ‘Seed’ Grant – Longwoods Feasibility Study 2018-2019
    • Conservation Foundation Privacy Policy
  • Camping
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 LTVCA Parking Passes

Types of Flood Notices

Flooding is a natural process. While the Authority has done much to reduce the risk to life and property, some flooding in developed areas is still inevitable. The Authority, therefore, operates a flood warning program designed to warn residents in flood-prone areas. Through a network of 11 stream gauges, five snow sampling stations, ice monitoring, and current meteorological data, Authority staff monitor stream flow conditions. Should a flood be imminent, the Municipal Flood Coordinators and the media are contacted and officials take appropriate action.

There are five types of notices sent to the media and municipalities depending on watershed conditions:

Normal
Flood Status Normal

Watershed Conditions Statement - Water Safety
Flood Status - Water Safety

High flows, unsafe banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.

Watershed Conditions Statement - Flood Outlook

Flood Status - Flood Outlook

Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high wind or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams, lakeshore flooding or erosion.

Flood Watch
Flood Status - Watch

Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services, and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should prepare.

Flood Warning

Flood Status - Warning

Flooding is imminent or already occurring in specific watercourses or municipalities.

 


 

Standardized Flood Messages for the Great Lakes – Update Related to Shoreline Conditions Statement

In Ontario, Flood Forecasting and Warning is coordinated across the province. The Surface Water Monitoring Centre provides a provincial scale assessment of flood potential and issues provincial flood messages. Conservation Authorities (CAs), and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Districts where CAs don’t exist, provide a local scale assessment of flood potential and issue local flood messages. To ensure that flood messages use consistent terminology and intent everywhere in Ontario, standard message types, descriptions, and graphics were established many years ago.  Messages are to contain information such as date and time of issue, expiry dates, versioning number, contact information, weather forecast/outlook, implications and recommended actions. Ensuring messages contain all essential information means that the recipients receive consistent messages and it also supports multi agency tracking, updating and mapping of flood risk in Ontario.

Over the last several years, record-high water levels on the Great Lakes, have posed new challenges for the flood forecasting community. One challenge has been applying standard flood message types to the Great Lakes. The existing flood message types didn’t adequately represent the flood risks on the Great Lakes (erosion, waves, shoreline inundation).  This gap in the standard flood message types led to local agencies creating new and/or ad- hoc flood message titles to reflect their local situation.  In response, the Provincial Flood Forecasting and Warning Committee drafted two proposed adaptations to current flood messaging which would support continued consistency.  The first was to discontinue the use of the term “Hazard” in message titles.  The second was to introduce a “Shoreline” Condition Statement to replace “Watershed” Condition Statement for flood messages on the Great Lakes.  The Shoreline Condition Statement is an adaptation of the lowest severity message (Watershed Conditions Statement) for application on the Great Lakes.  The Shoreline Condition Statement can be either a Flood Outlook or a Water Safety Bulletin.  In situations where flooding is more certain, imminent or already occurring, the Flood Watch and Flood Warning messages will continue to be used on the Great Lakes.  Definitions for the various types of messages related to the Great Lakes shoreline are:

Normal

Flood Status Normal

 

Shoreline Conditions Statement - Safety Bulletin

Flood Status - Water SafetyHigh static lake levels, unsafe shorelines conditions, unstable ice or other factors that could be dangerous for shoreline residents and recreational users.  Flooding is not expected.

 

Shoreline Conditions Statement - Flood Outlook

Flood Status - Flood OutlookEarly notice of the potential for flooding on the Great Lakes based on weather and lake conditions.

 

Shoreline Condition Statement - Flood Watch

Flood Status - Watch

Flooding is possible in specific municipalities or shoreline locations.  Municipalities, emergency services and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should prepare.

 

Shoreline Condition Statement - Flood Warning

Flood Status - Warning

Flooding is imminent or already occurring in specific municipalities or shoreline locations.

Font Size

Zoom in Regular Zoom out

Water Management

  • Flood Forecasting and Warning
  • LTVCA’s Flood Control Program
  • Water Control Structures
  • The History of Flooding
  • Flood Notices
  • Flood Notice Types
  • Water Levels
  • Harmful Algae Blooms

Flood Notice Archives

Downloads

  • Fee Schedule – Conservation Services
  • Personal Flood Emergency Plans

Recent Posts

  • McGregor and Jeannettes Creek Phosphorus Reduction Program – 2021 Continuation
  • Livestream LTVCA’s AGM on Feb. 25 at 1 pm
  • Flood Warning – Erie Shore Drive – February 4, 2021 – 11:45 PM
  • Flood Watch – Lake Erie shoreline, Erie Shore Dr. – February 4, 2021 – 12:45 PM

Upcoming Events

  • No events

Partner Links

  • Conservation Ontario
  • Thames-Sydenham & Region Source Protection Area
  • Thames River Clear Water Revival

Search


Chatham-Kent and Lambton Children's Water Festival


Canadian Heritage Rivers


A member of
Conservation Ontario

Copyright 2020 · Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority
  • /Home
  • /Site Map
  • /Contact Us