Dramatic photos show parts of Toronto underwater
Massive rain storm hits Toronto causing flooding and power outages
Toronto is in the midst of getting hit by a massive rain storm, with totals reaching as high as 75mm of precipitation (some reports have as much as 90mm fallen at Pearson Airport). A procession of powerful thunderstorms is currently working its way through the GTA, causing localized flooding, power outages, and frowns all round.
Right now, the TTC says the subway system holding in key areas due to a series of signal and flooding issues. There are pockets which remain in use on the YUS line and the Bloor-Danforth line is running between Jane and Kennedy, but much of the system is shut down. There are also widespread reports of flooding at Union Station.
Severe thunderstorms cause flooding, blackouts, havoc on roads around GTA
What is happening right now?!
Hope all our Toronto babblers are okay!
there are reports that Mayor Ford's power is out at his house, so he is sitting in his car with his kids with the AC on...
images via twitter
Looks like most of the flooding is around airport and Lakeshore area in toronto, Missasauga, and moving east to Brampton and Markham.
All subways closed. Massive power outages.
Don't worry though because Ford is safe and cool in his car (many on twitter calling for him to be impeached for at the very least breaking the 4 minute idle law)
Most (if not all?) news outlets are providing information from social media feeds of people in the flood. All pictures here sourced from twitter feeds.
Not much new stuff coming out. Not sure of the emergency response effort yet.
via twitter: Marine units en route to stuck passengers on Go Train.
Rob Ford's priorities during this time.
106mm of rain recorded at Pearson Airport. Apparently another 50mm rain at least!
Following twitter hashtags #TOflood #dwls #TOstorm, some Torontonians were unaware the city was flooding -- only affected by heavy rains.
all photos sourced from twitter
BlogTO has good up to the minute coverage and covering all emergency updates from Mayor (cough) and first responders (yay)
Transit service is back on in some areas ; 300,000+ without power in GTA; all flight seem to be grounded; still steady rain in GTA; " no sign yet of any issues related to the predicted next wave of storms"
Update about the stranded Go Train from the Toronto Military Unit via TOblog:
Apparently Doug Ford is directly traffic; other people are beginning to scream at each other in the streets according to twitter; seeing lots of tweets to remind everyone that down traffic lights turn into a 4 way stop
Horrors.
So far, nothing but some showers here tomorrow afternoon and showers off-and-on on Wednesday. No severe rain warnings, but of tcourse that can change.
I hope all rabble-rousers/babblers are safe and well and have the essentials of life.
To put rain levels in perspective, TO got over 100mm today (still counting) the average is 76mm ... for a month.
Commuters on GO Train being rescued after 4 hours on the train. (image via TOblog)
power coming back on in some areas; the rain continues; reports of a water snake aboard the GO train (yikes);
severe thunder storm warnings for areas in red.
on a lighter note, reports of lots of cozing up on ttc buses to make extra room and maybe create some new love stories; so far seen only a few tweets about first responders, but all positive!
edit:
The Albatross has a good spread of the most incredible photos during the storm/flood to further contextualize everything.
Severe Thunderstorm warning ended for Toronto
"I'm going to be up all night. I can't obviously sleep when I know the storm is going through" -- Mayor Rob Ford (eye roll)
Yikes. I work in one of the hard-hit areas. This morning I was feeling very sorry for myself, sitting waiting for an x-ray at a Halton clinic (first workday I have not been at work in 6 months), turns out it was my lucky day. I would certainly still be stuck there if I had been there today. Weird.
Oddly, very little rain here, west of Oakville.
Wow, great photo collection, Kaitlin! I had heard about the heavy rain and then some reports of flooding, but -- wow -- I guess that's pretty serious! Stay dry, T.O.!
And if it's too hot without air conditioning, don't be afraid to jump into your SUV!
A couple of aftermath articles have surfaced (terrible pun not intended, but, hey, why not):
Soggy Toronto gets good news on weather, subway service but faces further power shortages via The Globe and Mail
- Those in basement quites caught a bad end of the deal -- one of our rabblers questions what will happen to students living in residential basement suites and the damage to not only their house but their stuff?
- Businesses with storage in their basements received some bad flooding -- rabble friends Type Books had three feet of water in their storage closet with a lot of their back stock ruined.
- the flood received a lot of internation attention. Another rabblers currently abroad said it was "one of the top stories on internation CNN"
- lots still without power in the GTA -- hope all rabble rousers and babblers in the GTA are doing okay!
Looks all subways working now tho Go still has issues.
Some roads in my neighbourhood still flooded