Toronto continues response efforts following flooding

[post-views]

Climate change is increasing the instances of frequent and severe flooding – Canada’s most common natural hazard – with about 80 per cent of Canadian cities built on or around flood plains.

Yesterday, the City of Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America, experienced extremely heavy rainfall. At the height of the storm almost 100 millimetres (mm) of rain fell in some areas, according to Environment & Climate Change Canada, surpassing the city’s daily record from 1941. More than 80 mm fell on Toronto’s downtown core in just a few hours and tens of thousands were left without power.

The Don Valley Parkway experienced severe flooding, with dozens required rescuing before the major highway was officially closed off. For more on why this highway is especially susceptible to flooding, click here.

As climate change continues to increase the risk of floods, communities need support to build resilience to flooding. According to a report released by the Canadian Climate Institute earlier this year, improved flood risk transparency, which entails the mapping, disclosure, and pricing of flood risk, has a crucial role to play in Canada’s efforts to protect people and communities from flood risks. It can help individuals and communities decide how best to avoid, mitigate, or absorb damages and losses due to flooding.

Table 1 shows different examples of flood risk mapping, disclosure, and pricing.

Credit: Turning the Tides, Canadian Climate Institute. 

The city is continuing to respond to flooding and power outages that impacted businesses and residents.

Speaking at a press conference today Mayor Olivia Chow and Toronto City Manager Paul Johnson addressed the major flooding that hit the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) yesterday. “Yesterday was a very, very challenging day for the people that live in our city, that work in our city. But Toronto is resilient,” said Chow.

See also  Experts estimate modest drop in 2023 emissions, with big differences across sectors

Johnson said that the amount of rainfall in certain parts of the city “far exceeded” what was initially anticipated. He added that the definition of “100-year-storms” seems to have “flown right out the window” due to climate change, with the city witnessing multiple comparable storms in the last decade alone. “The challenge is [that] much of this city is just not designed to handle this amount of water that’s coming down. And that’s what we saw yesterday.”

Chow and Johnson said that new developments and projects will have to account for such changes moving forward.

General updates

Toronto Hydro  

  • There are about 3,200 customers without power, down from a peak of approximately 167,000.
  • Toronto Hydro and Hydro One are working to restore power supply to all customers as quickly as possible.
  • Report outages to Toronto Hydro: https://www.torontohydro.com/what-to-do-during-an-outage .

Public transit and commuting  

  • All roads, including the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway, have reopened, with the exception of:
  • Bayview Avenue between Pottery Road and River Street.
  • Unwin Avenue.
  • The city is working to reopen both roads as soon as possible.
  • City crews worked overnight to clear debris and water from roads.
  • The city will continue inspecting bridge, culverts and guardrails throughout the day.
  • A map of all road closures is available at toronto.ca/RoadRestrictions.
  • TTC is operating normal service. The most up-to-date information is available on the TTC Service Alerts webpage: ttc.ca/service-alerts 
  • Union Station is fully operational, and retail and food courts are operating normally, following flooding and power outages on Tuesday.
  • Metrolinx updates are available on gotransit.com .
See also  Yukon's carbon price rebate legislation receives assent

Basement flooding 

  • The City’s crews are available 24/7 to respond to flooding calls.
  • In the event of a flooded basement: Call 311 immediately to report basement flooding. During extreme weather conditions residents should expect high call volumes and some delays. Calls will be answered by the first available agent.
  • Do not enter a flooded basement. If flooding occurs in your basement and your power is on, call Toronto Hydro at 416-542-8000 to disconnect your power.
  • Call your insurance company as soon as possible to report property damage caused by flooding.
  • Reduce or eliminate water use in the home (don’t do laundry, wash dishes, flush the toilet, etc.), if you have already experienced a sewer backup or your backwater valve has been activated, as this household water could end up in your basement.
  • Be mindful of your health and safety when cleaning a flooded basement. Do not stand in flood water – call a professional for assistance.
  • Learn how to protect your home and what steps to take if your basement floods at toronto.ca/BasementFlooding.

General tips and advice 

  • Stay away from shorelines, rivers and streams, and use caution if travelling during flooding.
  • Never drive through flooding or ponding, especially in underpasses. More information about road restrictions is available at toronto.ca/roadrestrictions.
  • Collection crews may be delayed. Residents are advised to put out their waste materials on their regularly scheduled day and leave them until they are collected.

To read the flooding study by the Canadian Climate Institute, click here.

Featured image credit: Getty Images

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *