The rain has finally subsided and Windsor-Essex is now working on assessing the damage.
Areas of Crawford Avenue and Erie Street were completely under water in Windsor Friday — and in Lakeshore — Mayor Tom Bain says homes along the shore of Lake St. Clair are still dealing with standing water as a state of emergency was cancelled late Saturday night.
A car pushes through a flooded area in front of Merchant Paper Company on Crawford Avenue near Erie Street West in Windsor, Ont. on Friday July 16, 2021 (Photo via Facebook/Corina Lynn Strong)
Environment Canada's Rob Kuhn provided AM800's Live and Local with a rainfall estimate Saturday that ranged from 50mm to 102mm in isolated areas of Essex County.
Bain says more than 175 calls came in less than an hour when downpours were at their peak in Lakeshore and crews spent the night keeping pumps working.
Exact numbers aren't in as inspections continue, but Bain says storm water mixing with the sanitary sewer system has been identified as a major issue so far.
"Basement flooding where we've gone in and inspected and found contractors have tapped that [storm] water into the sanitary system, which is a definite no-no," he says. "We're going to have to look at how we solve that problem and possibly look at fining these people."
Flooding in a basement bathroom at 1026 Lilydale Ave. in Belle River, Ont. on Saturday July 17, 2021 (Photo by CTV Windsor's Alana Hadadean)
Bain says inspections are also showing many residents haven't taken the town up on free flood prevention measures.
"People just need to go out and purchase them and have them installed to bring the bill into the town and we're coving the cost of those," he says. "In a number of situations where we've gone so fare, there is no backwater valve and that offer's still out there."
Windsor's Chief Engineer Mark Winterton says more than 125 calls were made to 311 during the peak of the storm.
He tells AM800's Live and Local that Wards 2, 3 and 4 were hit with several heavy downpours Friday.
"That's when it hits our system and really causes us problems and creates the situation where basements can flood," he says.
Winterton says some residents will have a small amount of flooding in their basement and dismiss it — but if they report it to 311 — the city uses the information to direct resources and may be able to help.
"You have to be proactive and call us and we'll come and do an inspection for you," he says. "We can also do simple things like disconnecting your downspouts, which we will do for free."
Areas in Tecumseh were underwater Friday as well, causing the closure of several businesses near both Manning and Lesperance Roads.