Category: Flood Status
Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety
February 21, 2020LPRCA is issuing a Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety bulletin for the Lake Erie shoreline in its jurisdiction.
Weather forecasts are calling for 40-50 km/hr sustained southwest winds beginning this afternoon and continuing into Saturday. LPRCA is not expecting major flooding with the current lake surge models at this time, however significant wave action and minor lake surge along the shoreline is expected.
People are urged to use caution or stay away from Lake Erie shoreline areas experiencing strong wave action and elevated water levels. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from these areas. Additionally, there is a chance for some freezing spray off the lake as temperatures are expected to remain below zero.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor forecasted lake conditions and will update this message as necessary.
Lake Erie is expected to remain elevated until around noon hour Saturday. This message is in effect until 4:00 PM Saturday, February 22nd, 2020.
Contact Matt Churly at 519-427-4423 should further information be required.
Lake Erie Shoreline Flood Warning Termination (Event Message #3)
January 19, 2020The Flood Warning issued on Saturday, January 18, 2019 for the Lake Erie shoreline is being returned to the standing Watershed Conditions Statement – Lake Erie Flood Outlook.
Lake Erie water levels have receded since last night. Standing water, erosion, property damage and other impacts from yesterday continue to affect areas along the shoreline. Lake Erie static water levels are expected to remain very high over the coming months. High static water levels increase the risk of flooding when moderate to severe wind-driven surge events occur. Strong lakeshore surge events typically occur from fall through spring.
At this time, LPRCA reminds everyone to stay away from areas affected by recent shoreline flooding due to erosion, instability and other damage. Parents are especially reminded to keep children away from these areas.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor forecasted conditions and will update this message as necessary.
Contact Paul Gagnon at 519-429-4899 should further information be required.
Lake Erie Shoreline Flood Warning (Event Message #2)
January 18, 2020Effective immediately, the Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA) is issuing a Flood Warning for the entire Lake Erie shoreline within its jurisdiction.
Environment Canada has issued a wind warning, forecasting strong southwesterly winds increasing to 74 km/h this evening and overnight.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is currently forecasting Lake Erie to rise in Long Point by 0.67 meters above the current level to an elevation of 175.57 meters (IGLD 1985) and in the Port Colborne area 1.15 meters above the current level to an elevation of 175.84 meters (IGLD 1985). Strong winds are expected to cause wave heights to reach up to 2.3 meters in the Long Point area and up to 1.8 meters towards the eastern limits of the watershed.
With the forecasted winds, flooding is expected to impact low lying areas along the Lake Erie shoreline and lower reaches of some tributaries. Wave uprush and increased shoreline erosion can be expected from this event.
Haldimand County residents and businesses within LPRCA’s watershed should be aware flooding could reach Lake Erie Flood Zone 1.
Community flood coordinators are asked to monitor road conditions along the lakeshore and warn those residents and businesses in the very low lying areas along the lakeshore.
People are urged to use caution or stay away from Lake Erie shoreline areas experiencing strong wave action and elevated water levels. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from these areas.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor conditions throughout the watershed and will update this message as necessary.
This Flood Warning for the Lake Erie shoreline is in effect until noon, Sunday, January 19th, 2020.
Contact Paul Gagnon at 519-429-4899 should further information be required.
Lake Erie Flood Watch (Event Message #1)
January 17, 2020Effective immediately, the Long Point Region Conservation Authority is issuing a Flood Watch for the Lake Erie shoreline.
Environment Canada has issued a wind warning for tomorrow, forecasting strong southwesterly winds Saturday afternoon and increasing to 74 km/h Saturday evening.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is currently forecasting Lake Erie to rise in Long Point by 0.66 meters above the current level to an elevation of 175.34 meters (IGLD 1985), and in the Port Colborne area 1.14 meters above the current level to an elevation of 175.80 meters (IGLD 1985). Strong winds are expected to cause wave heights to reach up to 2.3 meters in the Long Point area and up to 1.8 meters towards the eastern limits of the watershed.
With the forecasted winds, flooding is expected to impact low-lying areas of the Lake Erie shoreline and lower reaches of some tributaries. Wave uprush and increased shoreline erosion can be expected from this event.
Community flood coordinators are advised to prepare and monitor forecasts and stand by for further information.
People are urged to use caution or stay away from Lake Erie shoreline areas experiencing strong wave action and elevated water levels. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from these areas.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor forecasted conditions and will update this message as necessary.
This Flood Watch is in effect until noon, Sunday, January 19th, 2020 or until further updated.
Contact Paul Gagnon at 519-429-4899 should further information be required.
Flood Warning Terminated; Water Safety advised (Event message #5)
January 14, 2020The flood warning message for Vienna is now Terminated.
Water levels in Big Otter Creek through Vienna have now declined sufficiently that a flood warning message is no longer necessary.
Most watercourses across the LPRCA have peaked and are now declining. However stream levels remain high and are still running out of their banks in some areas affecting low-lying areas.
Due to these conditions, LPRCA is issuing a Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety for all watercourses within its jurisdiction. People are reminded to stay away from ditches, streams, rivers and ponds as the combination of slippery banks and cold, fast-flowing water is dangerous. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from these areas.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor watershed conditions and will update this message as necessary.
This water safety message is in effect until noon, Monday, January 20, 2020.
Contact Ben Hodi, 519-842-4242 ext. 264 should further information be required.
Flood Warning for Vienna; Lake Erie Flood Watch Termination (Event Message #3)
January 13, 2020Big Otter Creek
The Long Point Region Conservation Authority is upgrading to a Flood Warning for the Vienna area in the Big Otter Creek watershed.
Watercourse levels across LPRCA remain high and are running swiftly. In many cases watercourses are still exceeding their banks and flooding low-lying areas. Most watercourses appear to have peaked and are declining, however the lower parts of Big Otter Creek and Big Creek are still rising.
In Tillsonburg, water levels on Big Otter Creek have declined since peaking last evening. Further downstream, water levels continue to rise in the community of Vienna and are approaching Stage 1 flood levels. It is expected that water levels in Vienna will peak sometime between this afternoon and early morning tomorrow. Levels are expected to remain lower than the levels seen in February 2018. Bayham Flood Coordinators are requested to closely monitor conditions in Vienna and low-lying areas.
Lake Erie
The Flood Watch issued on Sunday, January 12, 2019 for the Lake Erie shoreline is being returned to the standing Watershed Conditions Statement – Lake Erie Flood Outlook.
Lake Erie water levels have receded since yesterday morning. Standing water, erosion, property damage and other impacts from yesterday continue to affect areas along the shoreline. Lake Erie static water levels are expected to remain very high over the coming months. High static water levels increase the risk of flooding when moderate to severe wind-driven surge events occur. Strong lakeshore surge events typically occur from fall through spring.
At this time, LPRCA reminds everyone to stay away from areas affected by recent shoreline flooding due to erosion, instability and other damage; and from all watercourses as the combination of slippery banks and cold, fast-flowing water is dangerous. Parents are especially reminded to keep children away from these areas.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor forecasted conditions and will update this message as necessary.
This Flood Warning for Vienna and Watershed Conditions Statement – Lake Erie Flood Outlook remain in effect until further notice.
Contact Craig Jacques at 519-842-4242 ext. 265 or 519-429-2738 should further information be required.
Riverine and Lake Erie Flood Watch (Event Message #2)
January 12, 2020Effective immediately, the Long Point Region Conservation Authority is upgrading to a Flood Watch for the Lake Erie shoreline and the Big Otter Creek watershed, including the Town of Tillsonburg.
Environment Canada has issued a wind warning for tomorrow, forecasting strong southwesterly wind gusts up to 100 km/h mid to late Sunday morning, that are expected to ease by around mid-day. The strongest winds are expected across Lake Erie and along the shoreline.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is currently forecasting Lake Erie to rise on the lakeward side of Long Point by 0.3 meters above the current level to an elevation of 175.02 meters (IGLD 1985), and in the Port Colborne area 0.9 meters above the current level to an elevation of 175.6 meters (IGLD 1985). Strong winds are expected to cause wave heights to reach up to 2 meters in the Long Point area. However, NOAA’s forecast is currently calling for approximately 0.3-0.4 m higher levels at these locations.
With the uncertainty in the height of the Lake Erie surge, there is the possibility of minor to potentially significant impacts along low-lying areas of the Lake Erie shoreline and lower reaches of some tributaries, resulting in flooding, wave uprush and increased shoreline erosion. If the event reaches the higher range of the current forecasts, there may be similar impacts to the events seen on October 27th and November 27th of last fall.
Inland, approximately 25-55 mm of rain have fallen locally thus far, with higher amounts in the northern and western portions of the LPRCA. Nuisance flooding is expected in low lying and poorly drained areas. Specifically, Big Otter Creek is noted as rising quickly, and may cause some minor flooding, specifically in the Town of Tillsonburg.
Community flood coordinators are advised to prepare and monitor forecasts and stand by for further information.
People are urged to use caution or stay away from watercourses as the combination of slippery banks and cold, fast-flowing water is dangerous; and also from Lake Erie shoreline areas experiencing strong wave action and elevated water levels. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from these areas.
LPRCA staff will continue to monitor forecasted conditions and will update this message as necessary.
This Flood Watch is in effect until noon, Monday, January 13th, 2020 or until further updated.
Contact Craig Jacques at 519-429-2738 should further information be required.
Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook (Event Message #1)
January 8, 2020Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA) is issuing a Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook for all areas within its watersheds.
Current rain forecasts are calling for 50 to 95mm of rain over Friday and Saturday with the bulk of it falling this Saturday. The Western watersheds (which includes Norwich. Tillsonburg, Bayham, and Delhi) are expecting 60 to 95mm over 48 hours while the Central/Eastern watersheds (Simcoe, Waterford, Port Dover, Haldimand) are expecting 50 to 65mm over 48 hours. It is expected that rain and above zero temperatures will melt the existing snowpack by Friday.
The forecasted conditions will lead to watercourses rising throughout the LPRCA with the potential to flood low lying areas if the higher range of rainfall occurs.
People are warned to stay away from ditches, frozen water bodies, streams, rivers, and ponds as the combination of slippery banks and cold, fast-flowing water is dangerous. Parents are reminded to keep children and pets away from all of these areas.
Landowners are also advised to make sure dams, culverts, and catchbasins are free from debris and functioning properly.
Water levels are expected to remain elevated for several days in response to this event. LPRCA staff will continue to monitor watershed conditions and will update this message as necessary.
This Flood Outlook is in effect until 12:00 PM, Monday, January 13, 2020.
Contact Craig Jacques at (519) 842-4242 x265 or by cell at 519-429-2738. should further information be required.
Lake Erie shoreline Flood Warning terminated, Flood Outlook reinstated
November 28, 2019Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA) has terminated the November 27 Flood Warning for the Lake Erie shoreline and reinstated the standing Flood Outlook. Wind speeds and the resulting wave action have slowed but Lake Erie water levels are still high.
Though the wind and waves have slowed, low-lying shorelines, lakeshore bluffs and river mouth areas may still be experiencing standing water, erosion, property damage and other effects from the overnight flooding.
LPRCA encourages everyone to stay up to date on municipal messaging and avoid shoreline, bluffs and river mouth areas that may be slippery or experiencing erosion as a result of the flooding. Extra care should be taken to ensure that children and pets are kept away from these hazardous areas.
Lake Erie’s water levels are likely to remain high over the coming months. High water levels increase the likelihood that wind-driven flooding events may occurs. The fall and winter months are typically when the lakeshore experiences strong winds, so chances of additional flooding throughout the next month are high.
Due to these conditions, LPRCA is reinstating the previously issued Watershed Conditions Statement – Lake Erie Flood Outlook for all Lake Erie shoreline areas within its jurisdiction. Long Point Region Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and will update this flood message as necessary.
LPRCA issues Flood Warning for Lake Erie Shoreline
November 27, 2019Effective immediately, Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA) is upgrading the November 26 Flood Watch into a Flood Warning. Strong southwesterly winds gusting up to 100 kilometers per hour are forecast to develop during the afternoon and continue into the evening. As a result of the wind, water levels along the Lake Erie shoreline are expected to rise quickly mid-day today, peaking in the early evening at levels similar to those in late October.
Water levels in Lake Erie have been very high, which increases the risk of flooding and erosion when the wind picks up. Caution should be taken around Lake Erie shoreline areas experiencing raised water levels and strong waves. Extra caution should be taken to ensure that children and pets stay away from such areas.
The Flood Warning is in effect until noon on Thursday, November 28 or until an update is issued. LPRCA staff will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates.