'People are quite nervous': Cumberland residents brace for rising waters

Cumberland residents came together Saturday to stave off the rising waters of the Ottawa River — and avoid a repeat of the disastrous flooding that struck the rural Ottawa community two years ago.

Members of the community, which was hard hit by flooding 2017, stacked thousands of sandbags in front of local homes.

"Certainly there's some trepidation. You know, these neighbours were through this two years ago. That was supposed to be a hundred-year storm, and now we're getting it twice in three years," said Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blais.

"And so people are quite nervous. But they're very grateful to everyone who's out helping, and hopefully they can mitigate the damage."

On Saturday, the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat warned that the flooding risk was highest for communities downstream from the nation's capital.

In Cumberland — roughly 30 kilometres east of downtown Ottawa — residents like Catherine Roberts were determined to keep the rising river at bay.

'We were not prepared'

"Two years ago, we were not prepared. We didn't get sandbags until the water was in the house," said Roberts, whose home was surrounded Saturday by a wall of more than 2,000 sandbags.

She praised the dozens of volunteers, friends and family members who helped protect her home this time around.

"They worked for hours and hours in pouring rain, and literally all I could do was give them hot chocolate chip cookies. But they were amazing," she said.

"That just blows my mind makes me really want to just cry."

Blais urged residents to collect important documents like passports and birth certificates in case they had to suddenly be evacuated.

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