A special weather statement has been issued for Chatham-Kent, warning of additional heavy rainfall as the ground remains near saturation and unable to absorb significant amounts of water.
Environment Canada said Wednesday that the region could receive an additional 20 to 50 millimetres of rain beginning today and continuing through Thursday.
“Additional heavy rainfall possible. The ground, already near saturation, has a limited capacity to absorb this rainfall,” the statement said.
Several more rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected through the end of Thursday, following days of already significant rainfall across portions of the region.
“Several more rounds of showers and thunderstorms are possible until the end of the day Thursday. Portions of the region have received significant rainfall amounts over the last few days. As a result, further rainfall could have significant impacts. Rainfall warnings may be issued for some regions,” Environment Canada said.
Officials noted rainfall amounts will likely vary across the region, with some areas receiving higher totals than others.
“Rainfall amounts will likely be highly variable across the region,” the statement said.
Residents are being warned about localized flooding risks, including pooling water on roads and in low-lying areas.
“Water will likely pool on roads and in low-lying areas. Don’t drive through flooded roadways. Avoid low-lying areas,” Environment Canada said.
For flooding information, residents are advised to consult their local conservation authority or the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and to visit Ontario.ca/floods for updates.
Environment Canada is also encouraging the public to continue monitoring alerts and forecasts and to report severe weather by email or on social media using the hashtag #ONStorm.
