Highlights:
• Strong Wind Warning has been issued for Lake Erie.
• Peak winds, waves, and water levels expected Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
• Risk of erosion, shoreline damage and flooding
• Potential for flooding more severe than last week’s event that impacted the Rondeau Bay area.
Message:
A Strong Wind Warning has been issued by Environment Canada due to strong winds in the forecast for Lake Erie. Winds from the east will pick up strength tomorrow (Wednesday) morning and are expected to peak in the evening with sustained wind speeds above 40 km/hr and gusts of up to 65 km/hr. Winds are expected to switch to the south Thursday morning with sustained wind speeds between 30 and 35 km/hr. Lake Erie water levels are beginning the month of May above the record high monthly average water levels for May. The sustained winds from the east throughout the day tomorrow could raise lake levels in the Rondeau Bay area an additional 10 to 20 cm. Waves on the lake are forecasted to reach 2 m in height by Wednesday evening.
Over the next few days, strong winds will be driving waves onto our Lake Erie shoreline in Chatham-Kent and Elgin County. There is a risk that wave action could damage shoreline protection works and cause shoreline erosion.
If the forecasts hold, there could be flooding on the bay side of Erieau to a greater extent than that observed last week. There could also be flooding in other communities around Rondeau Bay such as Shrewsbury, Rondeau Bay Estates, Rose Beach Line and Erie Shore Drive, as well as in flood prone areas further west around Wheatley. The high bluff areas of the shoreline will be subject to wave action for the entire period. Residents along the Lake Erie shoreline should pay attention to local conditions and prepare accordingly.
People should take extra caution and avoid the shoreline. 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 shoreline. Standing water can also present unseen hazards. Children and pets should be kept away from the water.
Officials will continue to monitor the situation and update this advisory if necessary.
Contact: Jason Wintermute (519-354-7310 x227, [email protected]) regarding this message.
This message will be in effect until May 10th, 2019