State of emergency ends for section of Thames River
After five days of uncertainty, and around-the-clock monitoring, Chatham-Kent ended its localized state of emergency for the Thames River on Tuesday.
Mayor Darrin Canniff enacted the precautionary measure on Friday due to high water conditions and an ice jam located near the mouth at Lighthouse Cove. “The situation has stabilized and while we, along with our partners at the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority continue to monitor river levels, we have ended the state of emergency,” he said in a news release. Repairs to dikes along the river in West Kent have been successful, officials added, and the river has dropped more than 50 inches since its high water level Friday evening. Four pumps have been delivered to flooded areas on both sides of the river for use as needed. Chatham-Kent municipal crews, contractors and conservation authority staff kept watch throughout the weekend, repairing dikes and gauging water levels. Canniff credited everyone involved for their service during the ordeal.
“From those who repaired the dikes, to our engineering and public works officials, first responders and our customer service representatives, there was a strong level of professionalism and dedication,” he said.
“The officials from the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, local contractors and Entegrus and Enbridge were outstanding as well.” Railway staff continue to slow trains through the area as a precautionary measure considering the exposure of their rail base to high water.
The conservation authority is calling it too early to say what impact Tuesday’s mixed precipitation might have on the river. Snow, which turned into ice pellets, then freezing rain and rain came down throughout the region. Temperatures have also went up and down, with the mercury expected to drop again to -4 C on Wednesday, then rise to 4 C on Thursday, bringing with it the chance of flurries or rain showers.