'The rain just didn't stop': Windsor remembers devastating 2017 flood

Two years ago, about 6,000 basements were flooded in Windsor after the rain just wouldn't let up.

For Melisa Gillis, she worries every time it rains for more than a few hours — she lost photos and keepsakes when her Alix Sinkevitch townhome flooded. 

"Like any other Windsor day when it rains ... the rain just didn't stop," said Gillis about Aug. 29, 2017. News reports and emergency officials were telling Windsorites not to drive when she noticed the rain was up to the top of the curbs in the parking lot. 

And then the water crept closer and closer to her.

"My mom was downstairs and she screamed, 'Melisa, Melisa!' and a fountain of water just came shooting in [to the basement]," said Gilis. "We didn't have time to do anything or grab anything ... it was up to the fourth step up [so fast]."

City engineer Mark Winterton said Aug. 29, 2017 was a "tough day."

"The city basically had to shut down," said Winterton, adding that 3,000 people had flooded just a year before. 

"It was an interesting weather phenomenon, the way the rain hit. It was incredibly intense."

The town of Essex didn't get a drop of rain that day, remembered Winterton.

Gillis' neighbourhood had its power turned off for four days and had no hot water — the same week her daughter was headed back to school. 

"No power, no showers. We lost groceries," said Gillis, describing bailing out of the mess as "tough." She estimated that even though she had tenant insurance, she was out hundreds of dollars in just food and laundry costs — not including the loss of important items.

It took close to six weeks before Gillis' life was back to normal — for the water to be pumped out and her sewer-water-soaked possessions to be brought back inside. But renovations in the basement were only completed this summer. 

The city offered subsidies — and more than 12,000 people have applied for the program since August 2017.

Winterton said the number of people who have taken action is encouraging.

"We're doing the sewer master plan, one of the things we've really stepped up on. As part of the modeling we noticed that 70 per cent of the water that hits the system comes from the private side. A lot of the water you're getting in your basement is your own water," said Winterton. 

The wait right now to get into the flood program is about six to eight weeks, but there was a 12 month delay immediately following the 2017 flood. 

Windsor's city council has approved sewer surcharge funding increases, but Winterton said they continue to pursue additional funding from any source possible. 

For residents like Gillis, even though her basement looks back to normal, she still can't shake the memories of 2016.

"Now when I put something down in the basement, I think twice about it," said Gillis. "I don't put pictures or anything with sentimental value down there. Emotionally, I just can't take the risk."