Three huge storms led to record rainfall in parts of Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday, causing widespread flooding. Several motorists were left stranded on a major expressway, the city saw power outages, and airlines were forced to curtail services.
Environment Canada reported that the city experienced over 100 mm of rain, surpassing the city’s daily record set in 1941, reported BBC. More than 167,000 customers were left without power, said Toronto Hydro, the local power distribution company. It said the disruption was caused by suspected flooding at a transmission station.
Flash Flood warning issued as Greater Toronto Area 🇨🇦 receives 125 mm of rain. In the video, Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto is heavily flooded ⬇️#onstorm
pic.twitter.com/n8bfDtk7A3
— Raheel Khan (@kraheel_) July 16, 2024
Several flights were delayed or cancelled at the Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario. The airport said the pedestrian tunnel was temporarily closed since it was flooded.
Toronto Police said a major expressway, Don Valley Parkway, which runs along the Don River, was flooded in both directions. Another Ontario highway was also closed due to flooding. Police said it would take at least another day for the road to be functional again so that the water recedes and the road is cleaned up.
Atleast 14 people were rescued from their cars, including a man who had to be plucked from the roof of his car. His car remained stuck on the flooded highway until it could be towed away.
Manhole covers were lifted due to the volume of water in the Peel Region, west of Toronto, and police urged people to be cautious while driving, according to the Associated Press.
The city’s fire services received an “extremely high” number of calls from people stuck in lifts after a large area in the city centre lost power during working hours.
TFS Communications staff processed nearly 1700 calls for service and dispatched to almost 500 incidents between 6am and 3pm today. 50+ elevator rescue calls, 50+ water calls and over 20 people rescued from cars and buildings as a result of the significant rain. #toronto ^dc pic.twitter.com/afnjsdniis
— Toronto Fire Services (@Toronto_Fire) July 16, 2024
‘25% More Rain In Three Hours Than July Avg’
Meteorologist Dave Phillips said the city received “25% more rain in three hours than we’d have normally in the whole month of July”.
As there are dozens of rivers and streams in the city, it makes Toronto vulnerable to rising water levels, BBC reported. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority warned that areas near shorelines, rivers and streams were particularly prone to flooding.
Toronto mayor Olivia Chow said she did not know why the Don Valley Parkway was not closed earlier in the day as it is prone to flooding. She further said the city was investing in clean-up efforts so that such flooding does not occur in the future.
Intense rains and storms are becoming more common worldwide due to climate change, according to weather experts. This increasing frequency puts a strain on infrastructure in many cities that are not designed to handle heavy downpours, reported Reuters.
