Toronto is cleaning up after a series of storms caused flooding, power outages, and left many drivers stranded.
As of Wednesday morning, nearly 5,000 customers are still without power, down from 167,000 the previous day, according to Toronto Hydro.
On Tuesday, almost 100mm (4 inches) of rain fell on Toronto, breaking the city’s daily record set in 1941, as reported by Environment Canada.
Photos and videos showed severe flooding, cars almost underwater, and water pouring down the stairs at Union Station, a major transit hub.
Even pop star Drake shared a video on Instagram showing part of his Toronto home, “The Embassy,” flooded with muddy water.
City manager Paul Johnson stated that the focus is now on cleaning up and rebuilding Toronto’s aging infrastructure to be more flood-resistant, a costly project that could take years.
He noted that Toronto has experienced three 100-year storms in the past 11 years, highlighting the increasing frequency of such severe weather events.
Tuesday’s storm caused major disruptions for commuters and travelers. Many flights were delayed or canceled at Billy Bishop Airport, and major motorways like the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and Ontario Highway 410 were closed due to flooding.
Both roads have since reopened, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said things are “almost back to normal” in an interview with CTV.
Authorities rescued at least 14 people, including one person who was pulled from the roof of their car. The Toronto fire service received over a thousand calls from people trapped in elevators after large areas of downtown lost power.
Meteorologists explained that the record rainfall was due to three consecutive storms hitting the city. Meteorologist Dave Phillips told CP24 that Toronto received 25% more rain in three hours than it usually does in the entire month of July.
Paul Johnson added that some parts of the city saw normal rainfall levels, while others experienced “hurricane amounts of water.” The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority warned that areas near rivers, streams, and shorelines are particularly vulnerable to flooding.
Mayor Chow mentioned she was unsure why the DVP, which is prone to flooding, wasn’t closed earlier in the day. Toronto previously dealt with a severe and costly storm in July 2013, which left 300,000 people without power and over 1,000 passengers stranded on a flooded train.
This report was based on information from the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw4ypd11wr0o