Homeowners are still dealing with flooded basements after a record-breaking amount of rain pounded east Windsor and Tecumseh on Thursday, but municipal leaders are reaffirm that everything is working properly.
The mayors of both Windsor and Tecumseh have declared states of emergency due to flooding. The province is sending an assessment team on Monday to survey the damage from the storm.
Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara says the stormwater system did not fail, it was overwhelmed with the amount of water that came in a short amount of time.
"The greatest rainfall we've had in history," says McNamara.
In excess of 200 millimetres of rainfall was reported with, with 150 mm falling between 5:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
“This is a catastrophic amount of rainfall," says McNamara.
Every pump was operating at maximum capacity throughout the storm, with no malfunctions in equipment, according to the town.
Ten customer service reps were servicing calls Thursday, with about 330 calls received. Over 500 submissions have been reported through the website to the flood survey. Residents who experienced flooding are asked to submit information at www.tecumseh.ca/flood2016.
Tecumseh fire responded to 40 calls Thursday for a litany of reasons, but there were no injuries, no fires, and no accidents. OPP responded to 30 calls from stranded motorists and other calls for drivers speeding down waterlogged streets.
In Windsor, mayor Drew Dilkens says all systems are at full capacity.
As of 11 p.m., 1600 calls were made to 311 for flooded basements.
East Windsor was hit the hardest, getting at least 140 mm of rain.
The man-made Blue Heron Lake, which serves to treat the outflow from a storm water drain, has surpassed the banks. Many homes surrounding the lake were flooded.
Dilkens says the state of emergency will still be in effect until he receives the assessment from the province.
He is calling for residents to conserve water during rain events over the next couple days.
Some areas of Lakeshore also experienced flooding, but the town did not call a state of emergency, because Windsor and Tecumseh did, with assurance Lakeshore will be assessed.
Mayor Tom Bain says the number of homes impacted is still being accessed. The town is providing free sandbags to property owners who need them.
Canada's insurance industry is also responding to the flooding crisis.
IBC is deploying what is called the Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion (CAMP) to the area.
Staff will be on hand to answer insurance-related questions and help affected residents start the claims process.
They can be found at the Tecumseh arena on McNorton Street.
Meanwhile, More rain is expected to keep falling.
Environment Canada is predicting another 20 to 50 millimetres in the next 24 hours across the area.
The forecaster says Chatham-Kent is also receiving an unusual amount of rain and could expect a further 20 to 40 millimetres by Saturday morning.