Windsor is currently handling a significant number of requests for storm-related services following two days of severe weather. The city has received over 400 service requests for storm damage affecting municipal property in the past 48 hours. City crews, supported by contracted teams, are focusing on addressing emergency situations, hazardous trees, downed trees, power-line issues, and the most impacted areas.
Due to storm-related tree damage, Buckingham Drive is closed between Wyandotte Street E. and Riverside Drive E. Detour signs have been set up in the area. The City of Windsor is collaborating with ENWIN Utilities to manage trees impacting electrical infrastructure, particularly large trees that require specialized equipment for removal.
Residents are urged to report downed wires to ENWIN at 519-255-2727 and use the Windsor 311 app or online portal to report storm-related tree damage on municipal property. Duplicate service requests should be avoided to prevent delays in response times. Collection of storm-related tree waste is scheduled to commence next week, coinciding with regular yard-waste pickups.
Residents need to ensure that branches for collection are no longer than four feet, no thicker than four inches, and weigh under 44 pounds. Any storm-related tree waste not meeting these criteria can be taken to the City’s Public Drop Off Depot at 3560 North Service Road E. The cleanup efforts come in the wake of severe thunderstorms that hit Essex County, causing damaging winds, power outages, and extensive tree damage.
Rob Kuhn, a severe weather meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, indicated that radar data suggests the storm crossing into Windsor’s Riverside area may have produced a tornado. While the tornado has not been officially confirmed, investigations are ongoing. Kuhn highlighted that the weather pattern leading to Thursday’s storms is common for southwestern Ontario during the summer, with the region often experiencing hot, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico triggering severe weather events.
Despite the recent storms, Kuhn emphasized that the potential for more severe thunderstorms remains, as the region is still in a period of midsummer-like weather. Factors like warmer-than-average temperatures could fuel additional thunderstorms in the coming weeks, with the possibility of more severe weather events if conditions align.