Windsor flooding makes list of Top 10 weather events in 2017

Windsor has made Environment Canada’s national list of Top 10 weather events in 2017 for the massive storm in late August — the second “storm of a century” in less than a year — that left flooding and huge financial losses in its wake.

Environment Canada climatologist David Phillips said Windsor, which was in fifth position, is the only city to make the list. All others were regional events.

As for the 100-year-storm moniker — that’s a misnomer. Phillips said these massive storms are now occurring about every 10 years on average.

The fact that there were two multi-million dollar floods in less than a year puts us ahead of the curve.

“That is really what we’re seeing, not just in Windsor, we’re seeing these hundred-year events are coming out to be 10-year events,” Phillips said. “In this case, this could have just been bad luck. We may not see another one for 25 years in the Windsor area.

“But I wouldn’t bet on it.”

In less than 48 hours, storm rainfall totalled 222 millimetres in southwest Windsor, 141 to 158 mm in the Riverside area, 150 to 200 mm in Tecumseh, a record 100 mm at Windsor Airport and Essex recorded 190 mm. LaSalle was hardest hit with 125 mm of rain on Aug. 28 and another 160 mm the next day — 285 mm in 32 hours.

That ranks as one of the wettest moments in Canadian history, Phillips said.

“The figure at LaSalle was just a head shaker — 285 millimeters in 32 hours — that’s clearly what you’d get in a tropical rainstorm,” he said.

“It was almost as if the system was so stationary it just hung out,” Phillips said. “What stood out for me was the fact that if you took the individual weather event, it was the costliest … in Canada this year.”

There were 6,200 insurance claims totalling more than $154 million. For weather events inflicting property losses across Canada in 2017, the Windsor flood was the most expensive, he said.

“But we know that insurance is really a fraction of what the total cost of the event is,” Phillips said, adding in general terms insurance costs are only 10 to 30 per cent of the overall damage expenses.

That’s because some people don’t have insurance or they chose to pay for the damage themselves, government grants cover some of the cost or the damage may not be covered by insurance.

But Windsor wasn’t the only place in Canada to be hit by challenging weather.

British Columbia endured its longest and most destructive wildfire season, forcing thousands of residents from their homes. Record-breaking heat hit the west, while spring flooding caused damage in Quebec and eastern Ontario.

Winter was mild across Canada — the seventh warmest in 70 years — with only British Columbia experiencing colder-than-normal temperatures. But the east coast endured late season blizzards, featuring shrieking gales, humongous snows and freezing rain.

Phillips said property damage from weather extremes cost Canadian insurers and governments millions of dollars and the economy billions. Insurers took a major hit from storms to the tune of $1.3 billion from 113,000 claims.

So what can we expect in 2018?

“My fearless forecast would be, well it will be a colder winter coming up,” Phillips said. Last year Windsor had more rain that snow — about 80 per cent of the winter precipitation was rain and the average temperature was a degree and a half to two degrees warmer than normal.

“In Windsor, you have your share of severe weather, which always tops the news and so my hope would be a very boring year (that) you could count on seasonable weather — what our parents and grandparents told us about, summers were hot and winters were cold,” he said. “It’s almost as if normal weather doesn’t exist anymore. It’s almost like one swing of the pendulum to the other.

“I think the weather will still be the number one conversation piece. It always is.”

jkotsis@postmedia.com

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