Ontario town declares state of emergency as heavy rain floods roads

The Township of Southwold in southwestern Ontario has declared a state of emergency due to heavy rainfall causing flooding and multiple road closures. Located south of London, the township prioritizes public safety as crews respond to flooding across the area. Residents are urged not to drive through flooded roads, and public works crews are monitoring conditions as water recedes.

Several roads, including sections of Burwell Road, McDiarmid Line, Oneida Road, Mill Road, Scotch Line, Hunter Line, Union Road, and the intersection of Sixth Line and Lawrence Line, remain closed. Repairs will commence Saturday morning, with crews starting at 6 a.m. Emergency remediation work is also underway in Thomas Road, Fingal, and other areas, with full restorations expected to take up to two weeks.

Emergency remediation teams are collecting damaged items from residents affected by basement flooding, with pickup details to be announced on Monday. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement warning of additional rainfall in the region. This is the third Ontario municipality to declare a state of emergency due to flooding in the past week.