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Worst of the flooding may be yet to come as snow farther north melts
Published Apr 21, 2026 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 3 minute read
Greater Sudbury Fire Chief Rob Grimwood takes part in a press conference at Tom Davies Square on Tuesday. Photo by John Lappa/Sudbury StarArticle content
The city has declared a state of emergency around its spring flooding situation, which officials described Tuesday as unprecedented in severity.
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“Over the weekend we saw the Whitson River come up in Chelmsford, specifically in the Belanger Street neighbourhood,” said Carl Jorgensen, manager of Conservation Sudbury, at a press conference. “There is a monitoring station just north of the bridge on Main Street, and we can confirm at this time that the flows in the Whitson River at that location exceed both the 100-year flood and the Timmins flood.”
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A 100-year flood refers to a high water level that is extremely rare, given just a one per cent chance of occurring in any given year. The Timmins flood, which occurred in 1961, is a legendary rain event that caused widespread damage and claimed several lives.
Jorgensen said the Vermillion River has also surpassed the 100-year benchmark, based on water data collected at Centennial Park and the Wabagishik Dam, and is “on track to exceed the Timmins flood in a couple of days.”
While cool, dry weather over the past few days have have eased the pace of flooding in Greater Sudbury, the worst of it could be yet to come.
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“There is a significant amount of snow still to the north,” said Jorgensen. “It means we’ll probably be seeing rivers continue to rise for another two to three weeks.”
A house on McCharles Lake Road in Naughton is surrounded by water on Tuesday. Photo by John Lappa/Sudbury Star
Areas of particular concern include properties around McCharles, Simon and Mud Lakes, where the outflow from the Vermillion can actually “push Junction Creek backwards,” said Jorgensen, as well as neighbourhoods in Dowling, Chelmsford and Val Caron. The Flake subdivision in the latter has already seen some inundation and officials are keeping a close eye on the stretch of Desmarais Road north of the bridge.
The Vermillion’s lower reaches around Panache Lake Road and Grassy Lake Road are also problematic, said Jorgensen, and the Wanapitei River could become an issue too.
Ontario Power Generation has done a good job so far of holding back water through its dam on the Wanapitei, he said, but the lake, huge and deep as it may be, is not limitless in its capacity to act as a flood reservoir.
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Mayor Paul Lefebvre said the municipality is declaring a state of emergency “out of an abundance of caution,” as it will allow the city to marshal resources more efficiently should the situation get worse.
“It ensures we are ready in the event that localized evacuations become necessary,” he said. “It allows us to mobilize the right resources and supports quickly, to help residents leave their homes safely. It also strengthens our ability to coordinate volunteers.”
Many community members have already come forward to help with sandbagging, he noted, and he expects that spirit of neighbourly assistance will continue.
Municipal workers have not been used to deliver sandbags since the city amalgamated with its outlying communities, he said, but they are making sand and bags available at no cost, and public works staff have been busy pitching in on a variety of fronts. He pointed to an effort Monday to prevent sewage from backing up into homes on Belanger Street as one example.
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“Our crews have been working nonstop, pumping out water, maintaining infrastructure,” he said. “Our roads crew is also out there doing potholes.”
Volunteer firefighters have also pitched in on sandbagging, noted Fire Chief Rob Grimwood, and other crewmembers are going to door-to-door in affected areas to ensure people are safe.
“We’re checking in on people, trying to identify anyone who might be considered vulnerable because of complex medical needs, and then help them make decisions on leaving the current flood conditions,” he said.
Grimwood said no-one has been swept away in a raging river so far, or had to be plucked from the roof of a home, although firefighters were summoned in the wee hours Tuesday to rescue two people from a vehicle that got stuck in a Hanmer-area road, with water up above its doors.
“They reported they were trapped inside the car and we used an inflatable rescue craft to move them into safety,” he said. “The water was high enough that if they opened the doors the car would fill with water.”
Grimwood said it’s a reminder to respect signage and not attempt to drive through flooded areas, as well as use common sense by keeping a safe distance from swollen waterways.
“People have a lot of curiosity about the flooding, so they are moving towards it,” he said. “The reality is we need them to move away from it.”
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