Windsor Flood of 2017

In late August of 2017, Windsor, Ontario and the surrounding areas of Essex County experienced the largest flood event in its history. Some areas of Windsor-Essex County experienced rainfall of up to 290 mm, along with flash floods and flooded streets. In Windsor Flood of 2017addition to flooded streets and basements, some businesses closed temporarily due to the volume of water, which the drainage system could not accommodate. The areas that were the most significantly impacted were Lakeshore, Belle River, and Tecumseh, as well as selected parts of Windsor. Flooding caused $124 million in insured damages according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

The City of Windsor received nearly 4000 calls from residents reporting flooding and damaged basements. Many of the residents affected had sustained significant damage to their basements the previous year due to the flooding and rainfall that occurred in September of 2016. As a result, many were unable to obtain flood insurance to cover damage from the flood of 2017. In addition, many residents were unable to receive assistance from the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program, as the program does not cover sewer backup.

Local municipalities have been making great efforts to improve the local sewer systems, with many improvement projects currently underway. For example, a plan is in the works to improve the Riverside area, with modifications to roads, pumping stations, and sewers.

Sources:

CBC News. (August 2017). Heavy rains pound waterlogged Windsor-Essex following record rainfall. CBC Windsor.

Hill, S. (2018). Windsor as monsoon capital? students to collect rain data, become climate crusaders. The Windsor Star.

Insured damages exceeds $124 million from Windsor August floods: CatIQ, IBC. (2017, September 26). ENP Newswire.

More Windsor residents eligible for Ontario government flood relief. (2017, November 21). ENP Newswire.

Pearson, C., & Steele, K. (2017, Sep 06). Windsor Islamic council, mayor donate gift cards to flood victims. The Windsor Star.

Schmidt, D. (2017, Sep 13). Province tells flood victims not to expect additional aid. The Windsor Star.

Schmidt, D. (2017, Sep 12). Mayor, local MPPs press province on flood aid. The Windsor Star.

Waddell, D. (2018, August). A year after the flood: Municipalities spending millions to mitigate future damage. The Windsor Star.

For books on water storage and storm water management :

Brown, Daniel, M. (2014). Modern Potable Rainwater Harvesting: System Design, Construction, And Maintenance. Charleston, SC :, Optosensors Technology Inc.

Echols, Stuart. 2015). Artful Rainwater Design: Creative Ways To Manage Stormwater. Washington, DC :, Island Press.

Fryer, Julie. (2012). The Complete Guide to Water Storage. Ocala, Florida: Atlantic Publishing Group.

Slaney, Scott. (2016). Stormwater Management For Sustainable Urban Environments. Mulgrave, Victoria:  The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd.