A town emergency code system, using satellite phones instead of cell phones to communicate with staff in the field, and including funding for emergencies in the 2024 budget are all options currently being reviewed by the Town of Essex in the event of another major flood.
Essex Town Council got a breakdown of what happened on August 24 from its senior staff and Essex Region Conservation Authority officials at a special meeting on Monday night.
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Simply put, the stormwater management system was overwhelmed.
"This was the first time in the history of the Colchester Lagoon system that we underwent a bypass. We sent treated and partially treated in the lake," said the manager of environmental services, Rob Mackie.
The Colchester Lagoon typically takes in 1,030 cubic metres of water daily. Water flow increased by 1,400 per cent during the August 24 storm. The Essex Wastewater Pollution Control Plant saw a 900 per cent increase, while at the Harrow Lagoon and the Northeast Lagoons, flow was up 800 and 400 per cent over the daily average.
The nature of the flood changed as the day wore on.
Areas at a higher elevation flowed into lower elevations, causing roads spared earlier in the storm to overflow. High lake levels exacerbated an already difficult situation.
Next week, a team from the province will be in Essex to evaluate if the town meets the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians Fund criteria. If it does, residents who experienced flooding can apply for financial support. CAO Doug Sweet said the program tops up insurance claims.
"The program is limited to up to $250,000 per application, is subject to a $500 deductible, which may be waived for low-income households, and reimburses up to 90 per cent of total eligible cost," he explained.
Sweet hopes to provide councillors with an update on the town's application at their October 2 meeting.
Other options to improve service during storm events include buying a second wood chipper and creating webpage templates, so appropriate information is quickly disseminated.
