Be Prepared – Rain, Ice and Snow Coming to Mississauga This Week

The City of Mississauga is asking residents to be prepared as the next few days are expected to bring a range of weather conditions that include the potential for flooding, ice accumulation and snow.

“We want residents to be ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store for Mississauga,” said Mickey Frost, Director of Works Operations and Maintenance. “We received a record-breaking snow fall earlier this year and with that amount of snow mixing with warmer temperatures it could lead to increased water levels and possibly flooding in some areas. As the weather shifts over the next few days, we are gearing up and set to respond accordingly.”

Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) issued a Flood Watch earlier this week, and is monitoring both the melting snow and the potential for up to 30mm of rain. In addition, as temperatures begin to drop there is the potential for freezing rain and snow accumulation.

Here are some things residents should keep in mind:

1. Ahead of potential flooding, take a moment to clear the catch basin in front of your home or on your street, if it is safe to do so. A catch basin is the large drain on public streets where water runoff can go. A blocked catch basin can lead to more water on your street.

Report any damaged or broken catch basins online.

2. Stay away from all bodies of water. The combination of slippery banks, unsafe ice as well as fluctuating mild and cold temperatures will create hazardous conditions close to any river, stream or other body of water.

3. Inspect your home for any foundation issues to help limit flooding into basements. Remember, basement flooding is the property owner’s responsibility so make sure you connect with your home insurance provider if your basement floods. You may also be required to have your electricity turned off if the water has risen above the outlets or near electrical panels.

Visit our website for more tips on basement flooding.

4. Snow and ice can make the roads slippery and travelling on the roads may be challenging, so make sure you have what you need in terms of food, medicine or supplies to limit the need to go out in bad weather.

Learn more about how to build a 72-hour Emergency Preparedness Kit.

5. Leave room for City crews to clean up. As temperatures drop and salting trucks head out on the roads, we ask you to give them room to do their job. If there is a significant snow fall, please move vehicles off the street to make plowing easier and quicker.

To get the latest information on City operations including snow clearing, follow @CityMississauga or @MississaugaSnow on Twitter. Residents may also learn more about local weather forecasts by following @ECAlertON24 and local flood watches and warnings from Credit Valley Conservation.