Chatham-Kent, Ont. homeowner reinforcing barriers ahead of next storm

Chatham-Kent, Ont. homeowner Jeff Knipfel says he decided to leave his Erie Shore Drive property last week when he learned the municipality would be shutting off gas and hydro in the area as a result of a state of emergency due to strong winds and high water levels.

He returned when water levels initially began to recede, but Knipfel quickly realized he would need to strengthen his property's water protections — specifically the break wall and retaining wall — to prevent damage to his home.

Knipfel, his father, brother and father-in-law are now working on constructing a new barrier before more storms come in. 

"And then we continue on from there, when it calms down again over the next couple of days," said Knipfel, a former president of the Erie Shore Drive Property Owners Association.

Bob Porter, Knipfel's father-in-law, said the goal is to begin pouring concrete on Wednesday. 

"We're going to build a wall," said Porter. "There's gonna be a little ledge on top of the concrete so it'll splash up, it'll rollback into the lake."

Knipfel said he has witnessed "flooding incidents" in the past, but said this is the first year where flooding has caused significant damage. 

He added that residents along Erie Shore Drive are trying to work together to help one another deal with strong winds and high water levels. 

"You try your best to help out where you can," he said. "It's a good community around here."

According to Knipfel, the Erie Shore Drive Property Owners Association is also in discussions with municipal officials to determine how to better handle future flooding. 

"It's too much for any single property owner or even group of owners to handle," he said. 

'Sit and wait'

Even as families add more clay to the shoreline, Trevor Thompson, Ward 2 councillor for Chatham-Kent said all they can really do is "sit and wait."

"We get to the point now where any wind over 30 kilometres an hour and let's be honest that's just kind of a stiff breeze, but any wind over that can lead to property flooding on Erie Shore Drive," he said.

The voluntary evacuation order is still in place and Thompson said it will be for the foreseeable future — at least until the municipality can take a look at the structural integrity of the dike and any potential risks to safety.

"We could really be looking at a state of emergency or this feeling that we're sitting in for weeks or potentially months. it would only take a stiff breeze once or twice a week to keep us locked into this feedback loop."

Chatham-Kent declared a statement of emergency last Tuesday due to flooding caused by strong winds and high water levels. 

Of the roughly 40 households along Erie Shore Drive, residents in 10 homes remained despite evacuation recommendations from municipal officials.

Conservative Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls previously said the provincial government won't take action until Chatham-Kent's state of emergency is lifted.