Hundreds of residents at the properties worst-hit by Canada Day’s torrential storms spent Thursday morning without power and waiting for flooded basements to be emptied while cleanup staff pushed sewer water out of their lobbies.
Outside two highrise apartment buildings at the bottom of McEwen Avenue in Ottawa’s west end, residents said they were without air conditioning and working elevators as this week’s heat wave continued.
Environment Canada maintained an “orange-level” heat warning for the capital and area Thursday, saying that said that maximum temperatures were expected to hit 35 C. At 11 a.m., the weather agency issued a severe thunderstorm watch, cautioning of possible “wind gusts near 100 km/h, heavy rain, possibly exceeding 30 mm (and) up to ping-pong ball sized hail.”
Much of McEwen Avenue, a short, low-lying street a few hundred metres from the Ottawa River, flooded Wednesday after the street’s sewers backed up. Witnesses said sewer covers popped and water gushed, submerging cars parked in the street’s cul-de-sac so that their tires couldn’t be seen.
Some residents of the Park West, a 24-storey apartment building at 30 McEwen Ave., sat in their waterlogged lobby as a cleanup crew pushed water out of the building. The residents wondered if their building would be evacuated.
John Kola, facilities manager for the building’s owner, Saickley Enterprises, said the building’s basement, which houses its main electrical vault, was flooded. Kola was waiting for a crew to arrive to drain the basement.
Resident Christina Grosskleg said she expected to be without power for at least a few days.
Another resident, Jacog Hutchingame, said that his insurance would cover the cost of him staying elsewhere if he needed to. He said he heard a loud bag last night, after which his building and others nearby lost power. Five fire trucks attended to the scene, he added.
Similar flooding hit 30 McEwen Ave. more than 30 years ago, in 1992. Following a heavy rain, a backed-up storm sewer flooded the basement and caused a power failure. Then, about 400 residents had to leave their homes for several days.
Meanwhile, at Cornerstone Housing for Women’s emergency shelter in Ottawa’s west end, staff confined residents in their rooms as crews cleaned up the damage caused by floodwater that seeped through the building Wednesday afternoon.
“It flooded the middle of our kitchen area where we have our dining space where people eat or just connect,” said Amber Bramer, Cornerstone’s director of development and communications. “At the bottom of our stairs, there was a big pool of water.”
Staff asked residents to remain upstairs after several people slipped while walking through the water. City crews arrived later in the evening to help remove standing water, while the shelter also temporarily lost power and its elevator stopped working.
Brammer said one resident with mobility challenges had to sleep on a cot in a basement room because she could not access her unit until the elevator was restored.
While most of the main floor had been cleaned by Thursday, Bramer said the storm damaged mattresses that the organization had to throw out. It also soaked personal protective equipment and files. A garden and outdoor gathering area were also flooded.
“As an emergency shelter, we’re prepared for emergencies with residents, but not always for environmental emergencies,” Bramer said. “It’s definitely something that we need to further look at for the risks.”
Bramer said the shelter expects it will take at least a week or two to replace damaged supplies and is encouraging monetary donations, which allow the organization to purchase items such as replacement mattresses through existing community partnerships.
Elsewhere, the Ottawa Public Library closed its Nepean Centrepointe and Carlingwood branches Thursday because of weather-related damage. The library said due dates and hold pickup dates would be extended until the branches reopen.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe was expected to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the storm’s impact across Ottawa.
On Wednesday, Sutcliffe said on Facebook that he would ask staff to suspend garbage limits in certain wards for the next week so that residents could dispose of damaged items. He added that at Ottawa Council’s next meeting, he would move that building permit fees be waived for residents who need to rebuild their basement because of flooding.
Wednesday’s storms also closed of the Queensway and Woodroffe Avenue due to flooding, downed trees and caused multiple power outages.
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