Toronto, July 2024 – Intense torrential rain on Tuesday triggered flash flooding across parts of Toronto, Canada’s financial center, leading to widespread power outages, disrupted traffic, and forced airlines to curtail services.
Toronto Hydro, the local power distribution company, announced it was responding to scattered outages suspected to be caused by flooding at a transmission station. By 3 p.m., approximately 123,000 customers were without power.
Billy Bishop Airport, located on an island off downtown Toronto, reported that the underwater pedestrian tunnel leading to the passenger terminal was flooded and temporarily closed, causing delays and cancellations for several flights.
In the evening, much of downtown Toronto’s typically bustling restaurants were darkened, with kitchen workers and waiters gathered outside, awaiting the return of power. The power outage led to traffic lights being out, cars and delivery trucks backing up city streets, snarling intersections and causing significant traffic disruptions.
Experts have pointed out that intense rainstorms are becoming more common due to climate change, placing a heavy strain on infrastructure in many cities not designed to handle such heavy, sustained downpours.
The Toronto Transit Commission, which operates subway, bus, and trolley services, stated that trains were bypassing Union Station, the city’s main rail terminal. GO Transit, which operates train service to and from Toronto’s suburbs, reported that the flooding had caused service disruptions.
Parts of the Don Valley Parkway, a major highway running east of downtown, were submerged. Images showed cars stalled in water several feet deep. One motorist, Rick Zolli, recounted, “I was stuck inside my car on the Don Valley Parkway for more than an hour before rescue teams began arriving. My car was still stuck even when the water receded, so it had to be towed off,” he said.
As emergency services worked to manage the situation, the city’s mayor urged residents to avoid non-essential travel and to stay indoors if possible. Environment Canada has forecast that more heavy rain could continue through the night.
Credit: Reuters
