Intense Rainfall in Kenora Leads to Flooding and Damage

It was a calm afternoon at the music store Sounds & Systems in Kenora, Ont., when a powerful thunderstorm rolled east across northwestern Ontario on Monday.

For Rees Snow, co-owner of the shop that provided temporary shelter for a few people from the storm, it was an event unlike anything he had experienced before.

Snow described the thick storm clouds as looking like an “ocean blue” mass.

“The sidewalks around the building were completely submerged, and the water was all flowing (in) one direction, collecting at the corner of our building,” Snow said.

“So if you tried to leave our building during the storm or even for about an hour after it passed, you would have had to wade through roughly 24 inches of water depending (on) where you walked.”

He mentioned that it felt like “the building was an island.”

“It was quite scary while it happened and our building remained safe. I’m thankful for that,” Snow said.

While the streets are now entirely dry, Snow pointed out there was still plenty of debris scattered around when he cleaned up outside in the morning.

City cleanup

As of Tuesday morning, Hydro One’s outage map indicated 25 outages affecting 3,379 customers in and around Kenora, with restoration expected by 11 p. m.

“We are getting a high volume of calls related to flooding, sewer backups, road washouts, fallen trees and drainage issues. Please rest assured that crews are actively working throughout the community,” stated the City of Kenora in a news release on Tuesday.

The city explained that current efforts are focused on assessing and repairing critical municipal infrastructure while addressing public safety concerns such as:

blocked catch basins and culverts,
downed trees and debris removal,
wastewater system operations,
flooded low-lying areas
and flood-damaged roadways.

“Motorists are advised to steer clear of areas with standing water and use alternate routes whenever possible. Please drive carefully and follow all road closure signs, barricades and traffic control,” added the city.

The city also urged residents to report non-emergency issues via its Request for Service online tool so phone lines can remain open for urgent matters allowing staff to concentrate on response efforts.

A fallen tree blocks a roadway in the area following the thunderstorm. (Courtesy of Carson Milko of United Tree Service.)

Severe weather warnings across northwest

Keenly aware that Kenora wasn’t alone in facing this storm’s wrath.

“We had tornado warnings for Kenora, Sioux Narrows and Dryden; but as it moved further eastward it seemed to lose some intensity,” explained Peter Kimbell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.

After midnight when it neared Thunder Bay, Kimbell noted it “fizzled off considerably.”

“It came from Manitoba moving eastward as these storms typically do… With these systems we saw heavy rainfall… 94 millimeters in Kenora (and) 56 millimeters in Ruthann Lake,” Kimbell mentioned while adding there were also reports of hail ranging from nickel to loonie size.

The Northern Tornadoes Project is sending a team to check if any tornadoes touched down during this storm, he stated.

‘All hands on deck’ 

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“This has been one of the toughest storms we’ve seen over recent years without doubt. For two straight hours it poured down hard; then yes our phones went crazy-it was time for our team to jump into action,” said Carson Milko who runs United Tree Service based in Kenora.

Milko shared they received around 20 calls and emails within just one hour-and they’re still coming in on Tuesday. 

A lot of folks were taken aback by how much rain fell so fast along with strong winds he noted. 

“It’s not just tree damage either; there are literally roads washed away everywhere-especially within town limits here in Kenora-plus many bypass roads have been lost too,” Milko remarked. 

“There’re numerous trees resting on roofs but mainly smaller ones obstructing access routes for several cottagers,” he elaborated. 

“In some locations large clusters of trees have fallen due to microbursts which have blocked entire roadways,” he continued. 

As things stand on Tuesday their service has three crews comprising eight workers each actively clearing up fallen trees near Clearwater Bay-a spot about half an hour west from Kenora-and they’ll likely be working there all week cleaning up debris left behind from these events.”

“Our top priority is restoring access for cottagers needing emergency services while addressing anything else potentially hazardous immediately,” Milko concluded.

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