MELTDOWN DILEMMA
City warning homeowners of potential flooding as rain and warmer weather liquidate snow emergency
The City of Windsor is warning homeowners and drivers of the potential for surface flooding with warmer temperatures coming along with rain in the wake of last weekend’s 30-centimetre snowfall.
“I think the message we’re trying to get out with this is there’s a strong possibility that you’re going to have a lot of surface flooding with this particular melt, and eventually rain,” city engineer Mark Winterton said.
Winterton is asking residents to check catch basins around their homes and make sure they are clear of debris, especially if they are beneath large snowbanks.
“So what that means is you could have a bit of a hazard to drivers as temperatures drop afterwards, you could have some freezing temperatures and formation of ice,” Winterton said.
“We want the water to get away, so if anybody can help us, we’re not asking anybody to do anything you don’t want to do, but if you know that there’s a catch basin in front of your house, particularly on the residential streets where we probably won’t be able to get to them ourselves, you could sort of shovel it out and let the water get to the catch basin.”
The temperature is forecast to rise to 3 C on Wednesday and 8 C on Thursday, when there will be a 40 per cent chance of showers.
Winterton said drivers should be cautious when it comes to approaching standing water on the road.
“We always get a lot of calls when this happens, 311 calls, because there will be water on the road at the catch basins, and we ask people to slow down when they’re driving because if you can’t see the road, take appropriate measures to slow down, drive around, respect oncoming traffic,” Winterton said.
“If you went full speed, you can’t see the road — there’s a risk of hydroplaning or loss of control of your vehicle. We want people to drive according to the conditions.”
Residents are also being advised to avoid flooding and foundation penetration in their homes by making sure eavestroughs are unclogged and flowing properly, making sure downspouts are free of ice and flowing away from the foundation and removing large amounts of snow from around the foundation.
“You want to get the water away from your foundation as much as you can, so check your downspout, check your catch basin … You should make sure it’s open and free-flowing. Try and make sure there’s an opportunity for the water, if it’s coming through your downspout, to get away from your foundation, so don’t pile snow next to where your downspout is,” Winterton said.
Winterton said he expects the Essex Region Conservation Authority to issue its own advisory regarding potential flooding, but as of Tuesday evening that hadn’t happened.
“You’ve got frozen soil, there’s nowhere for the water to go, so you’re going to get some surface ponding,” Winterton said.
For more information on municipal services, call 311 or visit citywindsor.ca.
There’s a strong possibility that you’re going to have a lot of surface flooding with this particular melt, and eventually rain.