Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the region and a Gale warning for western Lake Erie due to potential high winds Friday night into Saturday, which the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority says could cause flooding.
Forecasts are calling for winds from the south to southwest during this period with sustained wind speeds above 35km/hour. Winds are expected to peak Saturday afternoon with sustained wind speeds of 60 km/hour and gusts up to 90 km/hour. Environment Canada’s Marine Forecast is predicting wave heights to build to two metres by this evening and to three metres overnight.
South and southwesterly winds will be driving waves onto our Lake Erie shoreline in Chatham-Kent and Elgin County. The Lower Thames Valley predicts there’s a risk that wave action could damage to shoreline protection works and cause shoreline erosion.
“Vulnerable areas will likely see localized flooding due to waves crashing against shoreline protection works spraying water up onto the land,” Jason Wintermute of the authority issued in a release.
“The predicted wind speeds and wave heights are similar to, and at their predicted peak well exceed, those that caused flooding earlier this year along Erie Shore Drive in Chatham-Kent. Residents along the Lake Erie shoreline should be prepared.”
The LTVCA says people should take extra caution and avoid the shoreline, which could be slippery and also be flooded with hazardous debris within the waves and water.
