Officials with the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority say they expect to close the Sixth Street dam and pump station later this afternoon as water levels continue to rise on the Thames River.
Following heavy rain across the area on the weekend, officials say the Thames is peaking in parts of Middlesex and Elgin counties and the flow will continue to cause the river to rise through Chatham-Kent for the next couple of days.
Basement flooding of businesses along King Street in downtown Chatham is expected.
Flooding of Siskind Court in the City of Chatham is possible.
But flooding in Thamesville and Lighthouse Cove is not expected.
All along the lower Thames River, water has spilled out into the flood flats and water levels are high at the outlets of local ditches and creeks.
In Chatham, the diversion channel dam is closed as floodwaters from the Thames River have backed up the diversion all the way past its inlet and into McGregor Creek upstream.
Peak flows are expected to pass by Thamesville late Wednesday afternoon or evening and are expected to reach Chatham late overnight Wednesday or Thursday morning.
LTVCA officials say there is currently some uncertainty as to what areas may get flooded in Chatham, as peak flows are still a couple days out.
High water levels on Lake St. Clair are also having an impact on Thames River water levels in the community.
Water levels in the city are expected to rise another 50 centimetres to a metre by the time the peak passes through.
Current predictions suggest water levels could reach those similar to the flooding that occurred in 1982.
