Flooded Essex County could face 'double-whammy' as more rain expected

More rainfall is on the way following flooding throughout parts of Essex County that washed out roads and filled up basements.

As of Thursday evening, Windsor-Essex is under a thunderstorm watch. Environment Canada says that there could be more heavy thunderstorms that could bring wind gusts up up to 120 km/h and rainfall amounts of 50 to 75 milimetres. 

There is also a risk of tornadoes and "nickel to ping pong ball"-sized hail.

Trudy Kidd, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said it could end up being a "double whammy" for some Essex County communities already hit hard from the overnight storm and flooding.

According to Kidd storms could be very localized with fluctuating precipitation amounts.

"Seeing the map that we have … There's quite the bullseye over Harrow and then into Leamington and Point Pelee as well. Then there's Chatham in the middle with just 25 millimetres."

The weather agency says from 11 p.m. Wednesday until 9 a.m. Thursday, Harrow saw 188 millimetres of rainfall — the most of any official weather reporting station in Ontario.

Citizen scientist online reports suggest Colchester, on the shore of Lake Erie, saw 178 millimetres of rain in a 24-hour stretch, while Pelee Island soaked in 171.5 millimetres.

The heavy precipitation was based on two systems converging, according to Environment Canada — cool air from Toronto meeting hot, humid air in the Michigan area.

The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) has issued a flood warning, saying flooding is occurring in several areas in the Town of Essex, Kingsville, Leamington, Lakeshore and Pelee Island.

ERCA says officials will continue to monitor forecasts and the advisory will be modified "as required."

The areas currently affected by flooding include County Road 50 in Essex, between County Road 41 to County Road 13. Areas between these streets are flooded with significant water over area roadways. Some of these include Seymour Beach, Lypps Beach and Belcreft Beach.

According to ERCA, streets are also flooded within some areas of Harrow, as well as water overtopping roadways in the areas immediately north of the town.

In Kingsville, reports include water over the road on County Road 20 between Graham Side Road and County Road 45 (Union Avenue).

In Lakeshore, the municipality has made sandbags available for pick up at the West Public Works Yard at 1089 Puce Road. 

Other reported closures

• John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area museum and grounds.
• County Road 23 between County Road 50 to County Road 20 in the Town of Essex/Kingsville.
• County Road 50 between County Road 23 to McCain Side Road in the Town of Kingsville.
• County Road 50 between County Road 41 to County Road 13.
• County Road 50 south of Cedar Creek Bridge.
• County Road 27 between South Middle Road and County Road 8.
• St. Clair Road from Clearview to the dead end at the Tremblay Beach Conservation Area.
• Lakeshore Road 241.
• All sports fields in Town of Essex.
• Pelee Island reports several flooded and impassable roads.

Pelee Island's mayor says it's the most rain she's seen in one dumping in her 15 years of being connected to the island.

However, Cathy Miller says their drainage and canal systems are designed to move water — but it'll just take some time.

"It's quite a bit and our pump houses will be running 24/7 for the next three to five days to move this water," she said.

Miller says they've heard from the province's emergency management response division, but, for now, they're going to let the pumps and drains "do their work."

Mayor asks residents to drive cautiously and use less water

The mayor of Essex is urging drivers to be cautious when travelling on water-covered roads.

"You don't know how deep the water is ... and when you drive down the roads you create a wake that goes in people's houses and floods them," said Sherry Bondy.

Bondy is also asking residents to conserve water and refrain from doing things such as laundry and showering, if possible.

The storms included lengthy lightning activity that could be seen across the skies of Windsor-Essex overnight Wednesday. 

Environment Canada says it's not unusual when there's a "lot of energy in the atmosphere like there is right now."

"At nighttime, sometimes you get something that's called cloud top cooling. So it kind of aides into building that elevated instability and energy like a little bit more. So sometimes overnight you do get maybe a little bit more lightning than you would during the day."

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