Portions of Windsor-Essex will greet 2020 with a flood watch.
High winds have prompted the Essex Region Conservation Authority to issue a flood watch for the entire Lake Erie shoreline of Essex County and portions of Pelee Island. The flood watch is expected to remain in effect until at least noon on Wednesday, New Year's Day.
Environment Canada said a low-pressure system centred west of Lake Erie is causing strong winds across the majority of the Great Lakes.
Rain is also contributing to higher water levels. Some areas of Windsor-Essex also received 20 millimetres of rain Sunday with that same amount possible throughout Monday. ERCA said this could cause issues at municipal drains to fill up with low-lying areas experiencing ponding.
Winds are expected to increase over 40 kilometres per hour with frequent gusts to 50 kilometres per hour, according to ERCA water resource manager James Bryant. This could continue as the calendar turns to the new year.
"With this extended duration, Lake Erie water levels in the western basin are expected to temporarily lower as water is forced into the central and eastern basins," said Bryant. "With the strong sustained winds, waves up to 1 metre may continue to impact those potentially affected shoreline areas for the next few days."
ERCA said due to still-elevated lake levels, the municipality of Leamington should continue to monitor the flood control dykes in the Southeast Leamington Area, including the Mersea Road 1 Dyke and the Marentette Dyke. The authority is also asking the City of Windsor to monitor water levels along the flood control dykes within the Little River Drain corridor.
