Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)
Chatham

Thamesville Residents Plan To Outlast The Flood (GALLERY)

Several people in Thamesville are amazed by the fast-rising Thames River.

The river overflowed its banks on Friday, flooding and closing part of Norton Line near Victoria Rd. Emergency officials expect downtown streets to be underwater by Saturday morning because of the overflowing Thames River to the south and overflowing creeks to the north.

Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)

Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)

Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)Thamesville flooding. Feb 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)

Ernie Penner, who lives on Norton Line with his wife and two sons, says he's never seen the river this high before.

"[I] told the wife if she and the kids wanted to go to a motel, I'd make sure the sump pump stays running because otherwise, we will have water in the basement," says Penner.

Assistant Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case says the dive team and rescue boats are on standby but hopes they don't have to be used.

A state of emergency for Thamesville declared by Mayor Randy Hope is in place until further notice. He says declaring a state of emergency will trigger funding from upper tiers of government if needed.

A Thamesville man, who asked not to be named, says his parents' home on Wallace St. near Sherman St. is flooded by a nearby creek, but they'll be staying home.

"We started getting a slight trickle into the basement and of course all the furniture and carpets are up. So, we're as well prepared as we have ever been and all the alcohol has been moved up to the second storey," he says.

Another couple who live on Norton Line also did not want to be named, but say they're worried about flooding in their basement.  However, they intend to ride it out at home with a couple of cold ones.

"Have a beverage or two, enjoy life and don't worry about it. We've been watching it rise all week so we knew it was going to happen," they say.

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