Downtown Huntsville businesses forced to close amid rising waters

The continued rain and melting snow have caused an increase in water levels in Muskoka, leading to floods in several areas of Huntsville, forcing some downtown business owners to shut their doors.

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The dangerously rising water levels have also caused road closures.

While the rise in waters in some areas has stalled, it continues to rise slowly in other areas.

Sandbags are placed to try and keep the rising water at bay in Huntsville, Ont., on Mon., April 17, 2023. (CTV News/Ian Duffy)

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Emergency crews continue to monitor water levels and ask residents to stay away from all flooded areas on foot or in a vehicle.

"Stay off the waterway. There's a lot of debris out there. If you're out there in your boat, you're causing issues to the shorelines, so we ask people not to go out in the boats and check out the flooding as well because it is causing issues," said Huntsville and Lake of Bays Fire Chief Gary Monahan.

Mayor Nancy Alcock urged the community to work together, saying, "We have neighbourhoods that are really, really adapted, saying, 'Okay, this is what we need to do.' One, they look out for each other, and two, they help each other out with sandbags."

Several downtown businesses deal with flooding in Huntsville, Ont., on Mon., April 17, 2023. (CTV News/Ian Duffy)

However, there are concerns that the situation could worsen before it improves.

But the town hasn't declared a state of emergency.

"This is a broader community, Muskoka, that went through devastating floods in 2019. There's been a lot of work done since then to be prepared for this," pointed out District Municipality of Muskoka Chair Jeff Lehman.

Rising waters near a dock in Huntsville, Ont., on Mon., April 17, 2023. (CTV News/Ian Duffy)

The community effort to fight the floods has involved communication, sandbags, and road closures.

The district is also taking measures to manage the rising water levels and ensure residents' safety.

"We obviously want to protect those drinking water systems carefully. Make sure the sewer systems are not overwhelmed by infiltration of stormwater, and then just maintain the roads whether they've got water on them or culvert washouts. Just try to keep people safe," Lehman added.