The rain held off for trick-or-treaters Wednesday night, but Thursday looks like it'll be quite a bit soggier.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for an area stretching from Windsor-Essex to Chatham-Kent and Elgin County with moderate to heavy rainfall expected over the next 24 hours.
Forecasters are calling for localized rainfall totals of 30-50 millimetres, which could cause some flooding in low-lying areas or areas with poor drainage.
In addition to that warning from Environment Canada, the Essex Regional Conservation Authority (ERCA) issued a flood watch for residents along the Lake Erie shoreline in the Municipality of Leamington between Wheatley Harbor and the tip of Point Pelee, as well as the north and east shoreline of Pelee Island.
ERCA said the predicted wind and current lake levels were below flood watch thresholds, but based on the forecasted conditions combined with the predicted rainfall, there was a possibility for near shore erosion with wave overtopping and spray.
Conservation officials in Chatham-Kent are also urging residents to avoid area waterways and to keep an eye out for possible flooding over the next couple of days.
A release from the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) said the safety and flooding concerns are aimed specifically at residents living both along Lake Erie and in the Indian Creek and McGregor Creek watersheds.
Strong northeast winds off of Lake Erie are expected from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning, prompting concerns about high waves and shoreline flooding for residents along the coast. LTVCA officials said wave heights could reach three metres late Thursday, pushing sand onto the shoreline where it could block some of the outlets for creeks and municipal drains in the area of Rose Beach Line.
At the same time, water levels on McGregor Creek and Indian Creek have peaked well above their base levels, causing flooding concerns for residents living near those waterways. Officials said they would continue to monitor the situation and expected they would need to take measures to redirect flood waters from the McGregor Creek watershed around Chatham to the Thames River.