Ahead of a possible large overnight rainfall forecast by Environment Canada, strong, persistent winds were already triggering flooding Sunday morning along Leamington’s eastern shoreline.
The Essex Region Conservation Authority issued a flood watch for much of the region and a flood warning for the Leamington area early Sunday that was to remain in effect until 10 a.m. Monday.
Environment Canada issued its own special weather statement Sunday morning advising that the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon could dump between 30 to 40 mm of rain on the Windsor-Essex region over the next 24 hours.
“Due to forecasted winds out of the east/northeast with sustained speeds of 25 km and with gusts up to 50 km, flooding is occurring on the east shoreline of the municipality of Leamington,” ERCA’s advisory stated. “In addition, damaging waves, splash and wave overtopping is occurring within this area and the north and east shoreline areas of Pelee Island.”
Due to persistent east/northeast winds, ERCA stated that water levels in the western basin of Lake Erie had been significantly elevated in addition to levels within the Detroit River and the western reaches of Lake St. Clair.
ERCA warned that heightened wave levels could affect the shoreline in Kingsville, Essex, Amherstburg and Pelee Island, Lakeshore, Tecumseh and the eastern edge of Windsor.
“Ongoing wave activity has the possibility to damage breakwalls that are damaged or unmaintained,” ERCA warned.