Windsor and Tecumseh mayors declare states of emergency due to flooding

CTV Windsor: Flooding in Windsor-Essex Roads and homes have been flooded due to heavy rainfall. Angelo Aversa and Melissa Nakhavoly report.

A state of emergency has been declared in both Windsor and Tecumseh after heavy rain wrecked havoc, causing roads and basements to flood.

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens declared a state of emergency because of flooding Thursday afternoon. Soon after, Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara also declared an emergency.

Tecumseh officials say 190 millimetres of rain fell in the area in less than 24 hours.

We have a photo gallery of the flooding that you can view here.

Tecumseh Road East between Lesperance and Southfield is flooded and vehicles were stranded in intersections.

The City of Windsor has received hundreds of calls Thursday, forcing officials to declare the state of emergency.

“It's not just saying we're going to declare a state of emergency, there are stories behind this, there are people affected by this, this is a very serious problem," says Dilkens.

Many residents have been reporting basements flooding as Windsor-Essex was hammered by more rain.

Riverside Drive between Pillette and Lauzon was also closed due to flooding. A viewer video showed heavy flooding at Jefferson and Raymond Ave.

Tecumseh Mall was closed due to flooding issues. Several cars were stuck in the water in the parking lot.

By mid-afternoon, Windsor fire officials say they "responded to 92 incidents today during the storm."

The City of Windsor says that treatment pumps are working at full capacity and the 311 call centre taking calls, however there is a high volume and callers are asked to be patient.

Emergency services remind the public to keep 911 calls open for emergencies only.

The Essex Region Conservation Authority has issued a flood warning due to the high volume of rain. The warning was extended until Friday at 6 p.m.

“Municipal infrastructure is simply not designed to handle that type of a rain fall that type of intensity, that short a duration,” says Tim Byrne, director of watershed management for ERCA.

Environment Canada says significant rainfall is expected in Windsor through Chatham as showers and thunderstorms will persist into Friday.

In Windsor, radar estimates of rainfall amounts suggest that 85 miliimetres have fallen in the Windsor region since Wednesday afternoon and an additional 45-70mm are expected by Friday.

The rain is being produced by a slow moving low pressure system over the Ohio Valley.

Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.