A slow moving weather system over Lake Erie has devastated the sleepy southwestern Ontario hamlet of Port Stanley.

Rains on October 1 and 2 exceeded five mm in places, with most falling in just a short time. Two days later, another cold storm dropped an equal amount of rain on an already sodden town. Then, in mid-afternoon on October 6, the atmosphere unleashed the biggest deluge and hail ever seen in Port Stanley. The storm, which began over Lake Erie, intensified as it hit land. At its worst, the small but spectacular storm dumped more than 15 mm of rain in less than an hour (as detected by radar), making it the wettest moment in the town's history.

Now only memories remain — memories supplemented by a few precious photographs for some area residents.

When the Lake Erie Deluge tore through Port Stanley, Iris Pluvial and her family fled their home. In the rush to outrun the impending storm, the family didn't have time to grab much.

“I thought we were going to loose everything we had,” said Pluvial, who has lived in her home for 53 years. “This really puts life in perspective.

“With all the news on TV lately about the hurricanes in America, the typhoons in China, flooding in Switzerland and mud slides in South America, we shouldn't forget that southwestern Ontario has its share of devastating weather too. Sometimes it takes weeks to recover.”

Pluvial was still shaken when she returned to her home and saw the devastation on her newly built deck. She was unsure if her insurance would cover the damages.

“It really makes you cherish what you have, and reminds us not to take things for granted,” said Pluvial. “We'll survive, clean up and move on. Hopefully we won't see a storm of this magnitude ever again.”

Disclaimer: Stories printed in the Fanshawe Distorter are in fact fictious. Any resemblance to persons real or dead is unintentional and entirely hilarious.