Torrential rains flood Toronto, causing power outages, traffic disruption

TORONTO — Torrential rain on Tuesday (July 16) triggered flash flooding in parts of Toronto, Canada’s financial centre, causing power outages, disrupting traffic and forcing airlines to curtail service.

Toronto Hydro, the local power distribution company, said it was responding to scattered outages that it suspected were caused by flooding at a transmission station. At 3 p.m., about 123,000 customers were without power, it said.

Billy Bishop Airport, situated on an island off downtown Toronto, said the underwater pedestrian tunnel leading to the passenger terminal, was flooded and temporarily closed. At least some flights were delayed or cancelled.

At lunchtime, many of downtown Toronto’s normally bustling restaurants were darkened, with kitchen workers and waiters gathered outside, chatting and waiting for the lights to come back. With traffic lights out, cars and delivery trucks backed on city streets, snarling some intersections.

Across the world, intense rain storms are becoming more common because of climate change, weather experts say, putting a heavy strain on infrastructure that in many cities is not designed to handle heavy, sustained downpours.

The Toronto Transit Commission, which operates subway, bus and trolley service, said trains were bypassing Union Station, the city’s main rail terminal. Go Transit, which operates train service to and from Toronto’s suburbs, said the flooding had caused some disruptions.

Parts of the Don Valley Parkway, a major highway running east of downtown, resembled a river soon after the rains began, with images showing cars stalled out in the brownish waters several feet (dozens of cm) deep.

Brandon Rolle, 24 said he was stuck inside his car on the Don Valley Parkway for two hours before the fire service came to rescue him. But his car was still stuck on the flooded highway until it could be towed off, he said.

“They’re saying they have to wait until the water recedes,” he said.

The rains stopped around midday, and Environment Canada forecast partly cloudy skies for the rest of Tuesday.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in a televised briefing said emergency services were not affected by the flooding, but there was some water in parts of the City Hall.

Trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange proceeded as normal, the TSX said.

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