Toronto struggles after ‘100-year storm’, heavy rain floods homes, causes power outages | Today’s news
Toronto faced what is being dubbed the “storm of the century” on Wednesday (local time), flooding homes and streets. Just hours after the devastating storm, officials announced that the city was returning to normal. Cleanup operations are underway, The Canadian Press reported.
Toronto Storm
Several images from Toronto have surfaced online. From flooded streets to damaged properties, the city endured a massive storm that brought hail and rain for several hours.
Reportedly, thousands of people were left without power due to the rain and storm. The River Don burst its banks, closing off parts of the River Don Valley. While flooding was reported at several homes, power lines also fell, causing further disruption.
Toronto’s subway and island ferries remained suspended.
The city recorded 150mm in just a few hours on Wednesday night, more than double the normal. According to Global News, meteorologist Ross Hull said Toronto typically sees around 78mm of rainfall in August.
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Power restored, roads reopened, Mayur stock update
On Thursday morning, the sun returned. The city began to dry out and the roads opened up.
“The storm has passed,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced at an event Thursday morning.
“I want to assure the people of Toronto that we were prepared, our teams were coordinated and we will continue to work until every road is clear and every resident has power back.”
About 90 percent of homes had power restored by morning, while the Don Valley Parkway was reopened, according to the mayor.
She urged anyone experiencing flooding or other storm-related issues to reach out for help. Anyone can call 311 for help.
The Canadian National Exhibition has reopened while transit has begun running as scheduled along with the city’s summer camps, Chow said.
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Why is it called the 100-year storm?
City Manager Paul Johnson added that the amount of rain that fell qualified the event as a “century storm” by Toronto’s definition.
A storm similar to the one in 2005 prompted improvements in flood mitigation and protection, which he said “worked”.
“The Don River took the brunt of the storm,” Johnson told the media, according to the Canadian Press.
While the storm affected sewers and some pools that remain closed, Johnson assured the city is quickly returning to normal operations.
“Overall, the City of Toronto today, all of our services and operations are back to normal,” he also said.
