Residents who live along the north side of Riverside Drive and are concerned about potential overland flooding can get sandbags from the City of Windsor.
The city is making sandbags available to residents concerned about flooding from Lake St. Clair or the Detroit River.
According to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, both Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie have started the month of May with water levels above their respective record high monthly average water levels for May set in 1986.
Due to these high levels, the Essex Region Conservation Authority says there is increased concern related wind-generated lake-setup, damaging waves, and shoreline erosion.
A sandbag station will be accessible at 9410 Little River Road between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, starting Wednesday, May 8.
The site will remain accessible on Sundays as well, but there will be no staff on hand to provide any support, sandbags or shovels. The depot will remain in place until Wednesday, May 22 depending on demand.
The sandbag station is for residents living between George Ave. and east to the Town of Tecumseh border, living on the north side of Riverside Drive. This area is facing the potential of flooding due to the extremely high water levels along Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.
The sandbag station will have a city staff member on hand between the hours mentioned (Monday to Saturday), but the bags and filling of the bags are the responsibility of residents.
Residents attending the sandbag station will be asked to show proof of address (mail or billing information showing address) and to check in with the attendant each time they attend.
Anyone interested in volunteering to help at the sandbag station is asked to register online with 311 using the “Call for Volunteers” service request.
The city says flooding has put communities across Ontario in flood emergencies this spring, and while Windsor is not in an emergency, officials say they have increased their monitoring of water levels and will continue for the next couple of months at least.
