The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority has issued a safety bulletin due to the amount of rain forecast.
Depending on how much rain falls, the LTVCA says it may need to operate the Indian-McGregor Creek Diversion Channel in order to protect the south end of the City of Chatham.
Rain Saturday afternoon with thunderstorms overnight mean there could be localized flooding with smaller watercourses spilling their banks, the LTVCA says.
Forecasts are calling for 5 to10 mm of rain this afternoon.
The forecasts are predicting an additional 10 to 20 mm of rain during the evening and overnight period.
The large amounts of rain could lead to localized flooding in areas of poor drainage.
The Thames River is flowing higher than usual due to rain earlier in the week, the authority says.
The additional rainfall will cause it to rise further. Should the higher rainfall amounts appear, there could be some flooding in the most low lying areas adjacent to the river, such as the sidewalk in downtown Chatham.
People should take extra caution and avoid the river, ditches, and streams. The combination of slippery banks and fast moving water can be dangerous. Standing water can also present its own unseen hazards.
Children and animals should be kept away from the water.
