Windsor area flood watch downgraded, but water levels remain high

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Major watercourses in the Windsor and Essex County region continue to have elevated water levels after last week’s days of pounding rain and thunderstorms.

But Essex Region Conservation Authority officials on Saturday downgraded its previously issued flood watch for local watersheds.

Rainfall that had been forecasted for Friday night did not hit the region, allowing watersheds to continue draining, James Bryant, ERCA’s director of watershed management services, said in a statement.

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But conditions are still very wet and saturated fields and water-filled ditches could be seen throughout Essex County over the weekend.

The region experienced rainfall ranging from 30 to 65 millimetres Wednesday night and early morning Thursday, leading to saturated ground conditions across the region and a rise in water levels in all major watercourses. ERCA officials on Thursday issued a flood warning for the Ruscom River in Lakeshore.

Flooding along the Ruscom River subsided by noon Friday, with water levels in the low-lying areas of Lakeshore Road 241 receding, but water levels remained elevated through the river and all major watercourses.

ERCA reported the Canard River in LaSalle and Amherstburg had not yet begun to recede in the mid-to-lower reaches by Friday afternoon, with all floodplains and marshes full of water.

Without the expected rain falling Friday and little to no rain in the forecast over subsequent days, area rivers will continue to lower back to normal levels, Bryant said.

People are still encouraged to take extra caution near watercourses with elevated water levels as the combination of slippery banks and fast-moving water can be dangerous.

Officials advise standing water can also present its own unseen hazards. Children, pets and livestock should be kept away from flowing or standing water.

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