A State of Emergency has been declared for a flooded area of Chatham-Kent.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff declared the state of emergency for the Erie Shore Drive area on Tuesday.
IN PHOTOS: Flooding along Erie Shore Drive
High water and strong winds are causing flooding in the area. Erie Shore Drive has been closed from Bissnet Line to Erieau Road.
"Everyone I've talked to and from my experience this is the worst it's been," says Jason Homewood of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority.
Homewood tells CTV News that due to the conditions and potential on-going road deterioration, the water supply in the Erieau area may be affected.
"Down the road they're talking about the septic backing up into the house and a lot of people are talking about what's going to happen in the future that this is just a taste of what the fall storms are going to be like," says Homewood.
Residents in the affected area are being asked to voluntarily evacuate. Emergency crews will be going door to door to assist with the evacuation.
Chatham-Kent police say the evacuation affects 40 households.
They went door-to-door and say 10 families have decided to stay in their home, even though the power will be turned off soon.
The rest have left the area.
Canniff says it will be "a few days" before they can go back home.
Officials say shelter and transportation will be available for the residents and their pets. Residents are encouraged to contact the municipality at 519.360.1998 for more information on available services.
Due to current conditions and the possibility of continued road deterioration, the water supply in the area may be affected.
Water pressure will be reduced to protect the line and the roadway in the event of a failure. The reduction in pressure will not affect drinking water quality, however, water will be regularly monitored for quality assurance. In addition, other utilities may be impacted as conditions warrant.
According to the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, wind speeds and direction are expected to continue throughout the week and the weekend.
The strong wind warning for Lake Erie remains in effect. The LTVCA says winds have dropped a bit since Tuesday morning, but strong south winds between 25 and 30 km/hr are expected to last into the early evening period before switching to the west and dropping beneath 20 km/hr.
For the rest of Tuesday afternoon the area could see wind gusts of up to 45 km/hr and waves on the Lake Erie over one metre in height.
Emergency crews are asking residents and visitors to stay away from the area for their own personal safety.
Conditions will be continuously monitored by the municipality.
