As Lake Ontario continues its rise to record-high levels for the second time in three years, shoreline residents grasp to find a villain. Current levels have reached 76.03 meters (249.4 feet) above sea level, topping the previous record of 75.93 meters (249.1 feet) which was set in 2017.
The only villain to blame is the record wet spring we had this year and in 2017, said Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of watershed hydrology in the Detroit office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “The level of Lake Ontario absolutely is a result of the very wet conditions experienced over the past several years.”
The Toronto Islands are facing a distressing time as most residents anticipate the waters to continue to rise, reports CBC Canada. However, city officials are saying the islands are in better shape than they were in 2017. During a morning update on Wednesday, Councillor Joe Cressy said the ferry service to Hanlan’s Point had been suspended and Gibraltar Point was now closed.
It’s official: Lake #Ontario #water levels are approaching the record numbers of 2017. Not only does this put shoreline communities at risk – but also puts additional strain on sewers and other #wastewater infrastructure. Here’s more: pic.twitter.com/8xRCqvD5Ce
— WEAO (@WEAOntario) May 15, 2019
The big worry this afternoon is the wind. Winds are expected to become much stronger Thursday afternoon, something that could lead to “significant wave action.” Cressy added, “We anticipate the water levels are going to continue to rise for the next seven to ten days.”
The Toronto Sun is reporting that Toronto is spending about $100,000 a week in their flood mitigation efforts (separate from capital costs), according to Cressy. Over 15,000 have already been put in place with another 9,000 on their way. City workers have been operating 30 pumps around the clock.
New York side of Lake Ontario
A number of communities and lakeshore properties on the New York side of the lake are also experiencing record flooding, and it’s not just homes along the lake’s shore. Tributaries and area creeks and ponds are also giving homeowners sleepless nights as pumps in basements have to be turned on every couple of hours.
The Town of Irondequoit Supervisor Dave Seeley described Tuesday’s battering of the shore as an “acute” crisis while the ongoing rise of the water that reached well inland was more a “chronic” situation.
Most people lament the loss of septic systems or driveways, with business owners sorry about the loss of business, but generally, people take the flooding as something they can’t do anything about, reports WHEC.com.
Took a look at some of the issues down at Lake Ontario on Tuesday, small waves were more than enough to cause issues all along the shoreline. #ONflood pic.twitter.com/E2lVmu6W3b
— Tyler Hamilton (@50ShadesofVan) May 28, 2019
“There’s not much we can do with the creeks,” sighed Parma Highway Supervisor Brian Speer, who had just finished a hard, but successful effort to protect and drain flooded streets along the lake. “We’ve got barricades and such that there won’t be any wave action but we can’t stop the water from coming up there. So, unfortunately, not much you can do about it.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency as the rising waters continue to creep higher. New York’s U.S. senators, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be ready to assist New York if the state requests a major disaster declaration.
