Prince Edward County mayor Robert Quaiff. (File Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Prince Edward County has declared a state of emergency due to the risk of increased flooding.
On Tuesday night, mayor Robert Quaiff declared the emergency stating localized flooding and the continued rising water levels of the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario was a cause for concern.
“The immediate concern is ensuring access to Provincial financial assistance for flood damage to private property and municipal infrastructure,” said mayor Quaiff. “In addition, by declaring an emergency, there will be access to more resources for the protection of waterfront properties.”
The County is surrounded by water with over 800 km of shoreline. There has been localized flooding on the shoreline around the County and as lake waters rise there is a strong probability that there will be further flooding of homes and potential damage to municipal infrastructure. Heavy rains and high water levels have forced many road closures and restrictions throughout the County this past week.
The mayor said the County’s Emergency Control Group was activated at 1 p.m. Tuesday and will continue to monitor conditions. He said they will be meeting again Wednesday at 10 a.m.
He said the County is reaching out for volunteers to help senior citizens who may not be able to protect their homes.
“My main concern is protecting the health and safety of our senior citizens,” said Quaiff.
He said they will also be looking to agencies for additional resources.
The County will continue to provide sandbags at three locations: 15 Coleman Street in Ameliasburgh, 115 Lake Street in Picton and the Essroc Arena at 111 Belleville Street in Wellington.
The municipality has created a Flood Watch Page on the County’s website to provide updated information and resources available to residents. Visit www.thecounty.ca and click on “Flood Watch” to access this information.
