Date: 8:30 A.M., Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Issued to: Municipal Flood Coordinators of Municipalities, Media

Issued by: Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority

Environment Canada has issued a Special Weather Statement due to predicted heavy rains and strong winds Tuesday evening through Friday.  Overnight Tuesday and Wednesday, the total rainfall accumulation is predicted to be between 25 and 50 mm, with the potential for additional rain due to thunderstorm activity.  Starting Tuesday afternoon winds are expected to increase, reaching sustained speeds of 30 km/hr Tuesday evening and rising to 55 km/hr Wednesday morning.  The wind gusts Wednesday are predicted to reach up to 85 km/hr.  Those strong winds Wednesday are expected to hang around until Friday.

The region has been quite dry the last few months and the ground is likely able to absorb quite a bit of rainfall.  However, if the region receives the nearly 2 inches of rainfall predicted, there could be localized flooding due to the large amount of rain to fall in such a short timeframe.  There would also be the potential for flooding on the some of the region’s smaller watercourses.  To help reduce the effects of localized flooding, residents should check drainage catchbasins around their homes to ensure they are not plugged with leaves and other debris.

The high winds are predicted to be dominantly from the south.  Those high winds will be driving the waves onto our Lake Erie shoreline.  Damaging waves and shoreline erosion should be expected in some areas.  Shoreline flooding is also likely, either from overtopping of the shoreline protection or from waves crashing against the shoreline protection spraying water up onto the land. The areas particularly susceptible in the Lower Thames jurisdiction include the shoreline around Wheatley, the Erie Shores Drive area, the Rose Beach Line area and the communities of Erie Beach and Erieau.  The degree that any particular community will be affected will depend on the wind direction and wind speeds.  Erosion may also be experienced in the high bluff areas along the Lake Erie shoreline in Chatham-Kent and Elgin County.

People should be caution and avoid areas of flooding. Children, pets and livestock should be kept away from the water. Slippery and muddy banks can also be hazardous.  Residents along the high bluff areas are advised to stay away from the edge of the bluff.

Keeping a close watch on local conditions and updated weather forecasts and warnings from Environment Canada is recommended.

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

This message will be in effect until October 30th, 2015.

Contact:  Jason Wintermute (jason.wintermute@ltvca.ca) regarding this message.