A severe rainstorm in Toronto led to mass flooding, vehicles abandoned on busy roads, and over 165,000 people without power.
“Extremely heavy rain is expected,” warned Environment Canada on Tuesday. “The ground, already near saturation, has little ability to absorb further rainfall. Rapidly rising rivers and creeks can sweep away bridges, culverts, buildings, and people,” said the weather agency.
The agency warned people to abandon stalled cars if the water level is rising and keep children and pets away from creeks and river banks.
Environment Canada said that as much as 125 millimetres of rain fell at rates of 40 millimeters per hour in the Greater Toronto Area.
Toronto Hydro confirmed that it has been working with Hydro One, the provincial energy supplier, to restore power for the 165,000 people without it but could not offer an estimated timeframe of restoration.
Many roads have been shut down as a result of the flooding including lanes of the Don Valley Parkway from Bayview Avenue to the Gardiner Expressway. River Street to Queen Street is also shut down.
Additionally, Lakeshore Boulevard, sections of Highways 400 and 401 as well as some Toronto subway stations have also been closed.
Toronto Fire deputy chief Jim Jessop said his department has received triple the call volumes it normally would in response to the flooding, which has been pooling up at Union Station.
Toronto City Hall employees also had to deal with flooding coming in from the ceiling of their offices by using recycling bins.
Peel Regional Police received reports of manhole covers being lifted by the heavy volume of rain and urged residents to take caution on the roads.
Additional flood warnings were given to areas along shorelines, rivers and streams throughout the GTA by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
One Peel paramedic called the rain levels an “unbelievable amount of water” in a social media post made from Mississauga Road and Dundas Street.
“Please please please stay away from any area that water flows,” reads the post.
Environment Canada’s severe storm warning for the GTA has since been lifted.
