Highlights:

• The bay side of the Villages of Erieau and Shrewsbury (Municipality of Chatham-Kent) are currently flooding.
• Flooding of these bay side communities is expected to continue until late this afternoon or early this evening.
• The public should avoid the area if possible. Unnecessary through traffic on flooded roads may result in further damages to private property from waves generated by vehicular traffic.

Message:

Currently, strong sustained wind speeds of 40-50 km/hour out of the north/northeast are creating and driving waves onshore in the area of Shrewsbury and Erieau off Rondeau Bay. Multiple streets and adjacent properties near this area of Rondeau Bay are already flooding. Weather forecasts are calling for the winds speeds to slowly diminish over the course of the day. The area is expected to continue to flood throughout the day until winds drop later this afternoon.

Due to high lake levels, there is a risk that wave action could damage shoreline protection works and cause erosion all along the shoreline. Ongoing flooding is likely within the Communities of Erieau and Shrewsbury (Municipality of Chatham-Kent) given the predicted wind speeds and direction. Residents and workers in the area should pay attention to local conditions and be prepared.

Residents should take extra caution and avoid the shoreline should conditions get rough. The waves can be strong and the shoreline slippery. There could also be hazardous debris within the waves and water which could be thrown onto the shore. Standing water can also present unseen hazards. Children and animals should be kept away from the water.

Officials will continue to monitor the situation and update this advisory if necessary.

This message will be in effect until April 27, 2020.

Message Contact: Jason Wintermute (jason.wintermute@ltvca.ca) or Jason Homewood (jason.homewood@ltvca.ca).