With rain in the forecast through next week, Windsor Fire and Rescue is asking residents to watch water levels.
Significant rainfall throughout the week has caused some localized flooding in Windsor, along with a handful of flooded basements. This means local waterways are deeper with currents moving faster than usual. Flooding may be possible in areas away from Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, where runoff may be slower.
The city is keeping a close eye on the northeast side, bounded by the river and lake from the Tecumseh line to Goose Bay Park.
Mayor Drew Dilkens and Windsor Fire Chief Steve Laforet met with media Friday afternoon, along with city engineer Mark Winterton. The mayor said with the river and lake having high levels, low-lying properties on the north side of Riverside Drive East are susceptible.
“This flooding doesn’t relate to infrastructure like the flooding we’ve dealt with during other storms,” said Dilkens. “This is about river and lake levels being extremely high and causing the risk of breaching the banks that contain them.”
There is a berm system in place along the Drive and the Ganatchio Trail, though, and Winterton said gaps in those berms were recently filled in.
“We have strong berm systems in place that will keep the majority of any rising Detroit River water at bay,” said Winterton. “But, where gaps still exist, we’re ready to quickly fill them with sandbags if needed.”
Sand and sandbags may soon be offered to those residents depending on how the water levels are doing. Information on a sandbagging depot for public use is expected from city of Windsor officials on Monday. The city is also putting out the call for volunteers to help residents who may have difficulty performing that work on their own.
BlackburnNews.com will provide more information as it becomes available.