Loads Of Rain And Melting Ice This Weekend

Emergency officials urging caution, offer advice

Grab an umbrella, dig out your raincoat and rain boots. There is the potential for up to 40 millimetres of rain in parts of the region through tomorrow, with Rainfall Warnings already in effect for some areas.

This, of course, will hasten the melting of the snow pack leading to swollen rivers and streams, fast flowing water slippery banks. We’ve been advising all week to avoid those bodies of water. And we will echo the advice of police, fire and paramedic staff to avoid what’s left of the ice. Emergency crews were called last night to Kempenfelt Bay, off Cenetennial Beach in barrie, with reports of someone having gone through the ice. They found no evidence of that, but did find someone fishing on the bay.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • clear blue ice is the strongest
  • white-opaque ice is half as strong

If you do venture out and you hear the ice starting to crack beneath you:

  • lay flat on the ice
  • call for help as loudly as you can
  • and roll or crawl back to land if if you can

If you fall through the ice:

  • float on your stomach
  • reach foward to the ice..trying not to push down on it
  • kick your legs to push your torso back onto the ice
  • if that doesn’t work, float as best as you can and call for help…loudly

photo: Sue Sgambati/Barrie Today