Toronto waking up from a nightmare after record rainfall caused massive flooding
Posted Jul 9, 2013 8:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As Calgary switches into the flood recovery phase, Canada’s biggest city was hit with a wall of rain causing major flooding there.
In the span of just a few hours, more than a month’s worth of rain drenched the Toronto area, flooding roadways and causing major power outages.
Even the city’s Go Transit commuter train looked like a boat, as officials rescued 1,400 people stranded on the train.
Sections of track remain under water this morning, and passengers are being told to make other travel arrangements.
At the storm’s peak, 300,000 people were without power, and 80 per cent of the city of Mississauga was left in the dark.
Amber LeBlanc is the morning show producer with our sister station in Toronto, 680News; she says only 20,000 people remain without power Tuesday morning, mainly on Toronto’s west end.
“There are reports of people that were flying into Toronto that had to be diverted to Ottawa and Hamilton, circling in the air. We heard from one man who was actually on a plane for 18 hours straight just trying to land in Toronto,” says LeBlanc.
A total of 126 millimetres of rain was recorded during Monday’s deluge.
Toronto’s Don Valley Parkway, much like Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail, was flooded and had to be closed for around nine hours during the storm Monday afternoon.
Most flights to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport were cancelled Monday and two WestJet flights from Calgary to Toronto were cancelled Tuesday morning as a result.
Luckily there are no reports of any injuries or deaths during Monday’s torrential rainfall in Toronto.
