Flooding risk, mitigation top of mind 5 years after 'mind-boggling' storm hit Windsor, Tecumseh

Sasha Stasko remembers fishing out food and her kids' toys from her flooded basement the night of Sept. 29, 2016. 

Now every time it rains, she fears for her and her neighbours' homes. 

"I think many people around here are nervous every time it rains, and it's not just inside flooding that's the problem, but outside flooding continues to be a problem," she said.

Stasko is one of thousands in Windsor-Essex whose homes and businesses were flooded after a massive rainstorm dropped nearly 200 millimetres of rain on the area. It overwhelmed pumps and sewer systems in just four hours on the morning of Sept. 29.

The event was one of the worst natural disasters in Canada that year, according to Environment Canada. Nearly 3,000 people reported flooding events in Windsor that day, while 1,300 basements took on water in Tecumseh.

The Insurance Board of Canada said more than 6,000 claims were made under auto, home and business policies totalling more than $100 million. 

'It is top of mind now'

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara remembers the flood of 2016 as a pivotal moment for his community. It made flood mitigation efforts a priority at all levels, he said.  

This Windsor resident says she has fears each time it rains

3 years ago

Duration 1:11

After the severe flooding event in 2016, Sasha Stasko says she worries a lot each time it rains. Stasko says the pooling water is very unsafe.

But he predicts politicians will need to double what's been spent in the last 10 years to keep properties protected from future extreme weather events. 

"When everything is said and done, we're probably going to need $200 million. It is top of mind now," he said, standing outside the Scully Storm Pump Station in Tecumseh.

That station and its three pumps are one of eight storm pump stations owned and operated by the municipality. Two stations have been rebuilt to increase capacity, while another five will have work done to at least double their ability to pump water through the storm drainage system. 

The work at the Scully Storm Pump Station will be partially covered by federal money through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.

Storms are 'mind boggling' 

Windsor and Tecumseh have both successfully applied to the program, but only after each submitted three separate applications. 

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said storms that hit in 2016 and 2017 pushed council to prioritize work on that city's Sewer Master Plan.

Windsor's mayor explains how flood mitigating became a council priority

3 years ago

Duration 1:28

Mayor Drew Dilkens shows off the St. Paul pumping station in Windsor as he discusses how flood mitigation became a top priority following major storm events.

The majority of Windsor's flooding in 2016 hit Riverside, with cars stalled on the streets in water that reached their windows. 

After the flooding the city saw in 2008 and 2009, "we knew that the infrastructure in Riverside was in need of an investment," said Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, who lives just off Riverside Drive.

She called the 2016 and 2017 storms "mind boggling." 

"We had storm fronts that settled over the area and dumped an incredible amount of water in a very short period of time. At the same time, we were starting to see the levels in our lakes and our rivers increase." 

After the back-to-back floods, council took a look at completely revamping the city's century old sewer systems, she said. 

"These problems have been percolating for years." 

While some of those projects carry multimillion-dollar price tags, Gignac said there are opportunities to experiment with pilot projects like the work done at Tranby Park, another project partially funded through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.

The park has been redesigned with water storage under the parking lot along with dozens of trees planted to help mitigate basement flooding. 

"Try these out, see what kind of data we can gather in terms of the effectiveness," said Gignac of the project's goal.

An interesting downspout connection at this Windsor resident's home

3 years ago

Duration 0:34

Windsor resident Sasha Stasko says the City of Windsor's downspout connection may not be efficient.

Both communities also put in place programs for homeowners to help protect their property  

Following the 2016 flooding, Stasko replaced her sump pump, added a back flow valve, not to mention a lot of clean-up. 

She said the city worked on a downspout on the exterior of her home, but she questions its efficiency. 

"This is the only help I got from the city for my flooding issue here. It's stuck in a tree in a bush and then it goes down, so I'm just not sure how this disconnection is going to be effective."