City plans to make sandbags available to residents living in flood-prone areas

The City of Windsor is putting plans in place that, if required, would offer sandbags to residents living alongside Riverside Drive who fear their properties may be flooded.

The announcement — made Friday afternoon by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens on the Lakeview Park Marina, which has recently seen water rise to levels not seen in "decades" — included a warning to residents living in flood-prone areas.

"This is a problem that we're expecting to last for the next four to six weeks. So we need to be vigilant all along the waterfront," said Dilkens.

As part of the cautionary notice to residents living near the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair, the city announced it is purchasing a sandbag machine — along with at least 50,000 sandbags — to stop water from passing through low-lying areas near the shoreline.

"There is the significant risk of overland flooding for some of the residents here," said Dilkens, adding the city is calling on volunteers to help bring sandbags to residential properties.

"Sandbagging is not a child's sport. It's something that takes some muscle. It takes a lot of folks and you need a lot of sandbags to make a dent."

Hundreds of homes along shoreline

Lower-lying properties on the northside of Riverside Drive are the most at risk with rising river and lake flooding, according to a statement from the City of Windsor. Fire chief Stephen Laforet said there are between 400 to 500 homes along the shoreline.

For city engineer Mark Winterton, the mass purchase of sandbags is about being proactive rather than reactive.

"The hope that all of this is preparation and in six months, we look back and we say 'we're glad we didn't need it.'" said Winterton.

Winterton adds the city has identified several dozen low-lying areas along the shoreline which are most at risk of flooding. If water were to breach dikes in those areas, it could cause a closure of Riverside Drive.