Toronto flooding: Pictures, videos show heavy rainfall today in downtown core

Toronto was pounded by torrential rain Tuesday afternoon and pictures and video are showing the extent of the flooding in the city’s downtown core and beyond.

Video taken at Union Station showed people wading through ankle-high water at the major transit hub. Outside the station, water was seen cascading down the steps at one entrance.

At nearby Brookfield Place, water surged from a sewer drain as at least one person was spotted braving their way through the overflow.

The rain appears to have stopped, but the residual rainfall is causing headaches for transit users and motorists alike. Subsequent video captured at Union Station showed dozens of commuters crowding the station amid ongoing transit disruptions.

On Simcoe Street, a car that was caught under an overpass appeared to be submerged in water as a City of Toronto vehicle blocked off access to the roadway. 

A car is submerged in water under the Simcoe Street overpass in Toronto on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

In another area of the city, a taxi driver appeared to abandoned his vehicle altogether as the water inched higher.

A cab driver opens the door to his flooded vehicle in Toronto on July 16, 2024.

Video posted to social media from Lake Shore Boulevard showed some cars at a standstill as water rushed onto the major downtown expressway. Similarly, on the Don Valley Parkway, a rush of water was seen flowing along the Don River.

City officials said that sections of both highways were closed as a result of the flooding, which eventually made its way onto the roadways. At least 14 people trapped on or near the DVP during the downpour needed to be rescued, according to Toronto Fire Services.

A number of cars are seen abandoned after heavy flooding on the Don Valley Park on July 16, 2024.

Toronto was under an hours-long rainfall warning Tuesday and Environment Canada said the city saw almost 100 millimetres of rain during the weather event. The warning has since lifted, but a chance of showers and thunderstorms persists into the evening.

The rainfall also caused a widespread power outage in the city’s west end and nearly 170,000 customers are without electricity. It’s unclear when power will be restored.

This is a developing story. More to come.