Strong wind gusts from the south are posing a major flood concern for areas along the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair shorelines, as well as Erie Shore Drive.
Officials with the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) issued a flood warning on Tuesday. The warning followed a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada, which calls for winds to gust up to 90 kilometres per hour by Wednesday afternoon. LTVCA officials said those southwesterly wind speeds -- in combination with the gale warning -- could create waves up to 4 metres high in Lake Erie and 1.5 metres high on Lake St. Clair.
The strong wave action could potentially cause further shoreline damage. Conservation officials warn that flooding along Erie Shore Drive this week may be worse than what was seen in late August.
"Based on the forecasts, significant flooding would be expected along Erie Shore Drive in Chatham-Kent," read a release from the LTVCA. "Although water levels on Lake Erie have dropped by around 30 centimetres since late August, the wind speeds predicted for this event are substantially greater than those that caused flooding and triggered a state of emergency along Erie Shore Drive in late August."
The wind direction may change overnight on Wednesday, which may also cause flooding at Lighthouse Cove along Melody Drive, Island Crescent and possibly Peninsula Street.
In the meantime, areas in Wallaceburg may also experience some flooding. Officials with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority said wind gusts are causing a backwater effect, slowing the flow of water out of the Sydenham River, which is causing water levels to rise. Minor flooding over the top of the bank is possible.
Residents who live along the water are being cautioned to avoid slippery areas along the shoreline.
The flood warning will remain in effect until Friday.