A rainfall warning was issued for Canada’s largest city as torrential rain and thunderstorms swept through the area. Environment and Climate Change Canada warned that up to 125 millimeters (4.9 inches) of rain could fall, exceeding the total rainfall for all of July last year. Rapidly rising rivers and creeks posed a threat to bridges and people.
Videos showed cars submerged in downtown Toronto and at a standstill on Lake Shore Boulevard, a major artery running alongside Lake Ontario. The heavy rainfall washed out highway lanes, including the Don Valley Parkway, one of the country’s busiest freeways, and caused the closure of subway stations and bus routes. Subway service was suspended in the downtown area, and the Gardiner Expressway, the main route out of the area, was deserted.
Toronto Hydro responded to widespread outages throughout the city, with approximately 174,500 customers affected as of 1:34 p.m., according to the utility’s power failure website. Other utilities reported outages in the suburbs surrounding Toronto. Toronto’s Pearson airport recorded 26 millimeters of rain in a 10-minute span. Just before 2 p.m., the rain appeared to be stopping downtown, and the sun began to shine.
Mayor Olivia Chow stated that the city will review prevention mechanisms for major weather events following the downpour. “For too long, we have not fixed our aging infrastructure like the Gardiner Expressway,” she said.
The Toronto storm was part of a severe thunderstorm system that had swept through the US Midwest on Monday, triggering tornado warnings in Chicago. Meanwhile, there is an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms, with high winds and hail, across Upstate New York, including Buffalo and Syracuse. New York City may also experience thunderstorms later on Tuesday, according to the US National Weather Service.
