Rain stops, but flooding continues grief

The sun finally made an appearance Sunday, but city and homeowners continued to feel the effects of the steady deluge of rain that swept the area for a week, flooding local basements and roads.

“Because of the extraordinary rain in the last few weeks, we continue to see things like the mudslide on Kenilworth. We’ll have to continue to monitor the Escarpment face,” said city public works general manager Dan McKinnon.

With Lake Ontario water levels at half-a-metre higher than the 100year average, Beach Strip residents will continue to be affected.

“The lake levels are unusually high. They will not decline quickly. … It’ll take a while before things get back to normal,” McKinnon said.

The Weather Network reported that 85.6 mm of rain fell in Hamilton last week from Monday to Saturday.

Jim Howlett, a longtime Beach Strip resident, said Sunday the Beach Strip remains saturated.

“It does not look very good. Just because the rain has stopped, it does not make Lake Ontario get out of your basement.”

Howlett, who lost his furnace and water heater, said other residents on the beach continue to pump water out “like crazy and they will not stop pumping for several weeks.

“Many people have lost water heaters, freezers and appliances.”

York Road in Dundas remained closed due a damaged culvert and embankment. The Kenilworth Access that closed at the hairpin Friday reopened; but the section connecting to the Sherman Access remained closed as of Sunday.

All city sports fields are closed to avoid grass damage and the Waterfront Trail is closed from Bayfront Park to Cootes Paradise.

And while the rain has stopped, the city is warning homeowners to continue to take steps to prevent flooding in and around their homes.