‘If your vehicle is surrounded by water, exit the vehicle ASAP,’ Peel police wrote in a statement on X
Residents have taken to social media to capture the intense stormy weather as Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for the City of Toronto on Tuesday morning.
Although heavy rains are expected across southern Ontario, Toronto seemed particularly hard hit, with power outages even being reported in some areas. The ground, which is already near saturation, isn’t able to absorb any more rainfall, according to a statement by Environment Canada.
“Total rainfall amounts of up to 125 mm are possible with rainfall rates of 40 mm within an hour. This extremely heavy (rainfall) will gradually taper over the next few hours. Rapidly rising rivers and creeks can sweep away bridges, culverts, buildings, and people,” the statement continued.
“Abandon stalled cars if water is rising rapidly. Keep children and pets away from creeks and river banks. Consider moving valuable items to higher levels.”
In one video posted on X, cars can be seen in downtown Toronto, at York and Harbour streets. They appear to float as they cross the intersection and the water gets deeper.
In another video, also taken in downtown Toronto and posted on X, water can be seen spilling over the edge of the sidewalk after a car passes by.
The Don Valley Parkway near the Richmond Street exit was flooded as the water levels of the Don River continued to rise before noon on Tuesday, a video posted on X showed. Vehicles travelling in both directions were forced to cross through at a slow pace. The video shows an aerial view of the parkway.
An account that shares weather updates for southern Ontario posted videos to X, showing extreme flooding at King Street and Atlantic Avenue, in Toronto’s Liberty Village area. In one of the videos, a truck and other machinery are partly submerged. In another video, water can be seen filling the area beneath an underpass.
Peel and York Regional Police have both released statements regarding the flooding and are urging drivers to avoid certain areas.
The pedestrian tunnel at Toronto’s city airport, Billy Bishop, was closed, according to a statement released by the airport around noon.
“All passengers and staff will be redirected to the ferry for access to and from the airport,” the statement said.
“But, not to be forgotten, by about 7, 8 o’clock, we’ll see — along the shores of Lake Huron — some storms coming back into the picture in a line moving through areas around London, and again, the 401. And then it starts to peter out.”
On Wednesday, there will still be risks of non-severe thunderstorms, said Karkic, but a better evening is expected.
By late Tuesday afternoon, there were no longer any alerts for Toronto by Environment Canada.
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