Flood FAQ

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions

  • If you are in danger, call 911 immediately.
  • To report flooding call Credit Valley Conservation at 905-670-1615 during business hours.
  • To report local flooding on municipal roads, bridges or in blocked catch basins, contact your municipality.

Municipalities, conservation authorities and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry share this responsibility:

  • In all emergencies, municipalities have primary responsibility for the welfare of residents. Municipalities include flood emergency response in their municipal emergency planning for police, fire and emergency responders.
  • Conservation authorities are primarily responsible for operating a forecasting and warning system, and for monitoring and advising municipalities about flood conditions.
  • The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) coordinates provincial response to support municipal action and conservation authority flood forecasting programs.

We continuously monitor current watershed conditions and weather forecasts, operate a flood forecasting system and issue flood alert and flood warning messages to municipalities and the public.

We advise municipalities about preventing or reducing the effects of flooding. We communicate with municipalities and the MNRF during a flood.

These messages can be found on our homepage, Facebook account and Twitter accounts.

Stay informed with the Alertable app

Alertable is a Canadian public emergency alert system that offers CVC flood alerts in real-time, right to your mobile device. It’s free via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Make sure you have critical information at your fingertips when it matters most, because every second counts in a flood emergency.

Visit the Ontario Flood Forecasting and Warning System.

Be prepared to follow the advice and instructions of emergency response authorities. Stay well away from rivers and water bodies.

Make sure you have a personal 72-hour emergency kit ready for yourself and each member of your family.

For information about emergency preparedness, how to prepare for flooding and what to do during and after a flood, see:

Log-jams and other debris naturally occur in rivers and streams. Sometimes they cause water to pond or flood upstream, including onto public or private property.

If the debris is on your property:

  • Contact CVC. We’ll give guidance on what you can and cannot do. We’ll let you know if you need a permit, depending on the extent of work.
  • If the debris is posing an immediate threat to your personal safety or property, we may be able to issue emergency permits.
  • For information regarding permits, call 905-670-1615 during regular business hours. Ask to speak with someone in Planning and Development Services.

If the debris is on a neighbouring property:

You should speak with the property owner about having it removed.

  • Contact your municipality if:
    • you’re not sure who owns the property
    • debris is causing flooding and immediately threating your safety or property
  • If it’s urgent the municipality may help you to safely get the debris removed.
  • In non-urgent situations the municipality may be able to advise about reaching your neighbour.

A landowner is responsible for taking care of their own property, whether it’s regulated or not. CVC is not responsible for cleaning or repairing private property, including land and waterways, except for CVC-owned property. CVC regulates development (reviews planning and permit applications) along waterways and in wetlands.

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