WINDSOR, ONT. -- Windsor, Tecumseh and Lakeshore face a continued threat of flooding, according to the Essex Region Conservation Authority.
Officials say Lake St. Clair is at its highest level ever and that the Windsor-Essex region remains in a constant flood warning state.
“Lake St. Clair today, sits at in general terms the highest elevation it has existed at historically for this time of year,” says director of Water Management Services Tim Byrne.
Byrne presented a flood report to the ERCA Board Thursday. It stated the region has seen 14 flood events so far this year, with more to be expected.
"Right now we're just getting into the change in weather patterns where we are going to start seeing fall and winter winds that are onshore winds,” says Byrne. “That will artificially elevate those lake levels in towards some of those lower reaches of our region."
Byrne says “a breath of wind” can cause flooding with record high water levels on the Great Lakes.
"All of our municipal colleagues and partners, especially first responders are actively preparing and most municipalities have updated emergency response plans,” he says.
Meantime work continues to update ERCA’s flood plain mapping, to prioritize hazard mapping needs where historic flooding continues.
