Warwick township declares state of emergency after “1 in 100” weather event – London | 24CA News
Warwick Township has declared an emergency after almost 180 millimetres of rain fell in simply 5 hours Wednesday night.
In an announcement, Mayor Todd Case stated that there will probably be vital monetary influence on the group and several other companies.
“While we are fortunate that the situation does not pose a threat to public safety, financial loss is going to be huge,” stated Case.
“By declaring an emergency, we can raise public awareness and provide flexibility to call on partners to assist in the response if needed.”
Residents and companies have reported water backup, and the Warwick Conservation Area needed to be evacuated and closed.
Parts of Warwick reported greater than 5 inches of rain, closing roads and flooding highways, together with the 402.
“We are fortunate no one has been reported injured as a result of last night’s flooding,” stated Case.
Staff has been working to reply to calls, deal with issues, and shut roads deemed unsafe.
Residents are requested to train warning whereas on the roads, and to go to the township’s Facebook web page, or test 511on.ca for updates.
Other elements of southwestern Ontario reported heavy rainfall as effectively, with the Environment Canada climate station in Harrow reporting 185 millimetres of rain.
Near Glencoe, the motive force of a transport truck, a 59 year-old Mississauga man, died after his car fell right into a 3-metre deep sinkhole attributable to a highway washout.
Trudy Kidd, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the intense rain obtained was a “one-in-100-year” occasion.
“Looking at the numbers, we can call this a one-in-100 year event. In other words, in any one year, there’s about a 1% probability that this event can take place. Typically, depending on the conditions, Environment Canada puts out a warning for 50 millimetres of rain or more. So we’re talking about twice that or more.”
While the rain let up for many of the day, Kidd says that extra is on the best way.
“There is a risk of thunderstorms this evening for much of the southwestern Ontario area. Windsor, Chatham Kent, southern portions of Lambton County and the Western Middlesex County area, potentially even beyond that.”
The most important threat, Kidd says, is winds as much as 120 kilometres per hour, with potential for as much as ping-pong ball sized hail.
“When you have winds of 100-120 kilometres per hour, you can see down trees. And with a saturated ground, it has a reduced ability to hold on to those roots. If you’re out and about tonight, have a reliable source of weather information, make sure you’re staying aware and have a backup plan.”
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