Lewis calling for improved emergency notification measures

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Essex is calling for the federal government to improve its severe weather notifications for the region.

Essex MP Chris Lewis sent a letter to Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature Julie Dabrusin, calling on her “to protect the residents of Essex County and communities across the region with a review of the current severe weather notification, warning processes and procedures, and the provision of a capable and reliable radar system in Essex County.”

In the letter, Lewis states that “Essex County is one of Canada’s most active severe weather regions due to its unique geographic location situated between Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, as well as its proximity to the U.S. Midwest storm track.”

“Since 2018, Essex County has experienced several tornadoes, many of which occurred without timely severe weather warnings issued from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC),” Lewis wrote. “You may not be aware or, you may be aware, that the nearest Canadian weather radar system serving Essex County, the Exeter weather radar system, is located approximately 200 km away. This national infrastructure gap leaves us in a blind spot. Locally, we rely on U.S. National Weather Service bulletins to piece together a picture of what is approaching our border. As a result, severe weather alerts are often issued only after a tornado, or severe storms have already impacted the region.”

Lewis referenced a storm during this year’s Essex Fun Fest later in his letter.

“Following your delayed response, in May 2026, to the correspondence from the Town of Essex, dated September 16, 2025, another severe storm devastated Windsor-Essex on July 3, 2026. 1,600 visitors to a local community festival had to be evacuated to the nearby Essex Arena without sufficient warning. Thankfully, there were no life-threatening injuries or lives lost this time. Heavy rain, hail, and wind gusts up to 129 km/h knocked out power for thousands, leaving a trail of destruction for residents and municipalities to clean up.”

The Essex MP continued: “On July 9, 2026, ECCC issued a severe thunderstorm watch for our area and precisely when residents and businesses needed accurate, real-time data to protect themselves, the Exeter weather radar station went offline. This is not an isolated incident; it is part of a recurring pattern. Time and again, when severe convective weather threatens Essex County, our primary domestic radar infrastructure fails.”

“ECCC has a responsibility to ensure Canadians are sufficiently notified when conditions exist that may produce a tornado, extreme wind, or other extreme weather. The residents of Essex County cannot be expected to rely on a weather monitoring system that is unable to provide timely and accurate warnings when public safety is at risk,” Lewis stated.

Lewis added: “Minister, we respectfully request that ECCC assess its severe weather notification, warning processes, and procedures for Essex County, including target deliverable times and channels used to deliver such notifications and warnings. We further request that ECCC takes the necessary steps to provide Essex County with a radar system capable of delivering timely and reliable severe weather warnings to protect residents and communities across the region. Canada does not end in London.”

Councillor Peter Courtney said during the Aug. 10 Amherstburg town council meeting that Lewis was “shrugged off by other Members of Parliament” and asked for the town to send a letter supporting Lewis.

Lewis calling for improved emergency notification measures

By RTT Staff