Toronto is in recovery mode following Tuesday’s heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding and left more than 160,000 residents without power.
On Tuesday, the city was hit by three thunderstorms in the span of three hours, bringing a record-breaking month’s worth of rain, according to Environment Canada. The weather agency says typically the city would receive 71.6 mm of rain for the month, however as of 2:30 p.m, Toronto Pearson Airport saw 96 mm.
The last storm of this significance that occurred in Ontario was back on July 8, 2013. That day the city saw 126 mm of rainfall which led to $1 billion in insured damages.
According to the city, it’s too early to determine how much the clean-up costs or damages will be this time around.
“The focus has been on bringing critical infrastructure, like roadways and transit, back online. More updates and information will be available as we examine what was affected and investigate further,” the city said in a statement to Now Toronto on Wednesday.
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Mayor Olivia Chow shared her gratitude Wednesday morning for the city workers and rescue teams who worked around the clock cleaning up the roads and debris.
Currently, Toronto Hydro and Hydro One are working to restore power to all customers as quickly as possible. Yesterday’s flooding left approximately 167,000 people in the dark. As of this morning, Toronto Hydro says about 3,200 people remain without power.
UPDATE ON ROADS AND PUBLIC TRANSIT
The city says all roads, including the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway, have reopened, with the exception of Bayview Avenue between Pottery Road and River Street and Unwin Avenue.
The city is still working to reopen both roads as soon as possible. It is also inspecting bridges, culverts and guardrails throughout the day. People can check a map of all road closures here.
As for the TTC, normal service has resumed. Union Station is also fully operational, including its retail and food courts, following its flood.
BASEMENT FLOODING
Those who are experiencing basement flooding are encouraged to contact 311 immediately. City crews are available 24/7 to respond to flooding calls. The city is warning residents not to enter a flooded basement and if power is on, to call Toronto Hydro to disconnect the power.
Residents are advised to reduce or eliminate water use within their home. This includes doing laundry, washing dishes, flushing the toilet etc.
Residents must also call their insurance company as soon as possible to report property damage caused by flooding. For more tips on basement flooding, click here.
REACTIONS TO THE FLOOD
Tuesday’s widespread flooding left several vehicles and people stranded on roads. As a result, some people are questioning the city’s current infrastructure plan when it comes to handling flooding crises and comparing it to other modernized cities.
Former Chief City Planner says the city council needs to implement more funding into redesigning and improving its streets to mitigate flooding and prevent incidents such as this from happening again.
“Toronto is a city in crisis! Just 2 hours of rain dismantled the city’s infrastructure. No electricity, no internet and heavy flooding!” one X user said.
“As a lifelong resident of Toronto, this post hit me in the gut! Infrastructure investment is key to maintaining or growing this city and we need leaders that prioritize keeping this city moving,” another user said.
“As someone who has travelled around the world. Toronto is so very behind,” another user commented.
