Environment Canada says heavy rainfall may have set a September record
Fall is off to a very wet start in Waterloo Region and surrounding areas.
Environment Canada says the heavy rainfall that started Wednesday and continued into early Thursday morning could be one for the record books.
“I would not be surprised if some rain gauges in this area wind up recording close to 100 millimetres of rain,” said Rob Kuhn, a severe weather meteorologist with Environment Canada. “I do believe we will have set a new daily rainfall record for September in Kitchener-Waterloo.”
The weather station at the University of Waterloo also tweeted out Wednesday night that during the 24-hour period, starting at 9 p.m. on Sept. 21, they recorded 93.4 millimetres of rain. They say that’s the highest total they’ve ever recorded.
Environment Canada estimates between 40 and 152 millimetres of rain fell on communities in southwestern Ontario between Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon.
The rain caused localized flooding in many communities.
In Waterloo, water could be seen gushing out of a storm drain at Weber Street North and Lincoln Road, while in Kitchener there was flooding on Park Street.
In St. Jacobs, the low level bridge was closed due to the rising water and it could stay that way until the Conestogo River recedes.
The GRCA has also issued a flood warning for New Hamburg, Ayr and Drayton.
"This is a relatively unusual event for the duration and the amount of rain," said Cam Linwood with the GRCA.
It says flows in the Conestogo River and Nith River could peak sometime Thursday or Friday, and remain high into the weekend.
"As it heads on downtstream obviously the community of Ayr is the next affected, and it's usually 12 to 18 hours afterwards where they start seeing their peak," Linwood said.
He added while many residents who live in the watershed are well prepared for significant rainfall events, the range of this particular storm was different.
"It did have a high urban impact. There was a lot of rainfall and a lot of urban flooding so people that wouldn't typically experience flooding did see a little bit more this time," Linwood said.
Meanwhile in Middlesex County a State of Emergency was declared due to widespread flooding.
All local streets in Southwest Middlesex were closed for a period of time but have since reopened.
The Thames Valley District School Board also closed three schools in the area.
The widespread rainfall was the result of a cold front and a low pressure system moving in from the American midwest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.