The Essex Region Conservation Authority has upgraded two Windsor-Essex communities due to torrential rain Friday.
ERCA has issued a flood warning for the Town of Tecumseh and the Municipality of Lakeshore, effective through Sunday morning. The rest of Windsor-Essex is under a flood watch until that time. The flood watch was issued earlier Friday.
The authority said several areas within the two communities have received excessive amounts of rainwater, up to 75 millimetres since early Friday morning. This means that major watercourses that flow north toward Lake St. Clair at or close to capacity.
"Low lying areas on roadways as well as private lands have accumulated standing water," said ERCA Water Resource Manager Tian Martin. "Many surface water channels are currently bankfull and are spilling into adjacent low lying areas."
ERCA said other areas across Windsor-Essex have received 30 millimetres of rain, and smaller watercourses in those areas are close to capacity.
The latest Environment Canada forecast has called for an additional 15 to 25 millimetres of rain before the system moves out early Saturday morning. The amount is a downgrade from previous forecasts.
