A flood watch for the shores of Lake Erie and Pelee Island has been downgraded to a shoreline conditions statement by the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA).
According to the statement, southwest winds to 40 km/h and gusting to 70 km/h will continue along shoreline areas, but pack ice has frozen in place — reducing the chance of damaging wave activity.
Water levels in the lake are 60 to 70 cm above the long-term average for February, increasing the risk that the ice in the western basin may break apart and drift.
Any areas experiencing direct wave activity may be subject to splashing and spray, which can freeze on structures along and adjacent to the shoreline causing slippery and dangerous conditions.
ERCA says that as winds shift and come out of the southwesterly direction, the western shoreline of Pelee Island and the low-lying areas in the Municipality of Leamington along Robson Road and Point Pelee Drive are of particular concern.