Date: 3:00 P.M., Friday, June 12, 2015

Issued to: Municipal Flood Coordinators of Municipalities, Media

Issued by: Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority

The lower Thames River watershed around Chatham has received around 10-15 mm of rainfall over the last week.  However, over that same time period, the upper Thames River watershed received over 50 mm, in some locations substantially more.  Water levels on the Thames River in Chatham are currently high due to that rainfall in the upper watershed earlier this week.  Water levels on the river in Chatham are slowly falling but wouldn’t be expected to reach normal seasonal levels for a few days.

Weather forecasts for the Chatham area are calling for thundershowers and 20-30 mm of rain late this afternoon through tomorrow morning followed by 10-15 mm on Sunday and 5-10 mm on Monday.  Conditions in the local watershed have not dried out sufficiently and should the predicted rainfall appear the run off can be expected to raise water levels on the local tributaries. If the local tributaries rise faster than the Thames River is currently falling, we may see a further boost in water levels on the Thames River in Chatham.

Localized flooding may occur with the heavy rains predicted.  If water levels do rise on the Thames River in Chatham, they wouldn’t be expected to climb substantially higher than we’ve experienced over the last few days.  Some of the low lying areas adjacent to the river may flood, such as the sidewalk by the river in downtown Chatham.

People and their pets should take extra caution and avoid the river, ditches, and streams.  A combination of slippery banks and fast moving water is particularly dangerous.  Parents should pay special attention to keep their children away from the water.

The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority will continue to monitor conditions and will issue additional messages as required.

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

This message will be in effect until June 17th unless revised.