Heavy flooding leaves residents stranded on Prince Lake Road

Last night’s heavy downpour washed out portions of Prince Lake Road, leaving residents stranded on the dead-end street.

The rain also caused flood damage to the municipal office and public library, shutting down the building until further notice.

“Travel with care when driving in Prince Township today,” says a Facebook post from the local fire service. “Last night’s flood caused significant damage to infrastructure. Access to Prince Lake is currently restricted. Specifically be cautions in the areas of Marshall Drive, Townline, and Gagnon Rd.”

Prince Township CAO Jillian Hayes said crews are working to clear a route for vehicles on Prince Lake Road, but that work will likely take hours.

“As of this morning, there were two pinch points that are blocking access for the residents to get out or anybody to get in,” she told SooToday. “We do have a handful of full-time residents up there but most of them are seasonal cottages. There are some people who went up to visit friends for dinner and got stuck.”

Hayes says she is not sure how many people are stranded.

“I know there was a beaver dam break higher up and that released a lot of water, so that’s where the flooding is coming from,” she said.

Unable to drive on the road, residents are out walking today surveying the damage. Some used old pallets and extendable ladders to build a footbridge over one damaged area.

Gary Premo was sitting with others near his fire pit last night when the water started gushing.

“We were watching by the creek three lots over, the water running down right through their yard," he said. "And within five minutes, the next yard was flooded and running, and then the next one. We were sitting by the fire pit and the water came right around us. We were sitting in the water. Unreal. I’ve never seen that.”

He said a lot of docks in the area are now underwater. 

“It hasn’t gone down yet," he said.

As SooToday reported last night, the storm went through the area between 5 and 6 p.m., flooding portions of Second Line West between Airport Road and Walls Side Road.

SooToday will provide more details as they become available.